


Tied Together With A Smile

by Luna0603



Series: Tied Together With A Smile [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Breakup, Cheating, College, Eleven/OC - Freeform, F/M, Makeup Sex, Mike/OC - Freeform, Original Character(s), Regret, Smut, blowjob, frat party, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 129,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27268576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna0603/pseuds/Luna0603
Summary: El thought this was what she wanted. When regret and desperation sink in, she must put on a fake smile and rebuild her life as it crumbles around her.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Series: Tied Together With A Smile [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010013
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! I am new to this site, but I am not new to fanfiction. I have been writing under this same username over on fanfiction.net for a little over a year, and I have eight Stranger Things stories published over there. A couple of my readers on that site encouraged me to post my stories on this site, so I am doing that now as I made an account on here last week. This story is already complete and a sequel is in the works. Please feel free to read and comment on this story, same with the others that I will be posting on here, and I hope you like it! I have not made any changes from when I posted originally on fanfiction.net, so if you’ve already read it over there, it is the same story. (Not to say you can’t read it again!) Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters.

Mike rolled off of El onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, breathing heavily as he came down from the high he had been on all morning. Next to him, El pulled the covers up to chest level and turned onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow to face him.

“That was amazing,” she sighed, her messy hair falling over her shoulder and hanging in front of her chest.

“Which time?” Mike laughed, turning his head to catch his girlfriend’s gaze. El laughed and swatted his arm before rolling forward and snuggling into his side, her head resting on his chest.

“I have to get up and get ready,” she grumbled.

“It’s not too late to call Max and cancel,” Mike suggested with a grin. 

“You know I can’t do that,” El said. 

“Sure you can. Just say ‘Max, as much as I would love to drive all the way to Terre Haute and surround myself with people I don’t know on a college campus that I’ve never been to, I would much rather stay at home this weekend and keep having sex with my boyfriend.’ Friends don’t lie, after all,” Mike replied, running his fingers through El’s hair. El sighed and shook her head, looking up to face him.

“We both know how well that would go over,” she said. “Besides, we won’t be surrounded by tons of people. We’re just going to visit Robin, and we’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”

“I know, I know,” Mike relented. “But I’m allowed to be a little selfish.” El smiled and leaned forward to place a kiss on Mike’s lips.

“Why don’t you do something with Lucas this weekend?” she suggested when she pulled back.

“That’s probably what I’ll end up doing,” Mike sighed. “Just promise me you won’t go to any frat parties and fall in love with some college guy.”

“Aww, babe,” El teased, caressing her hand down the side of Mike’s face. “Is that what you’re worried about? Well you know I can’t make any promises.” Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head, pushing El off of him and standing from his bed.

“So this is what giving a girl five years of my life gets me,” he said jokingly, pulling on his boxers.

“Come on, you know I’m only joking,” El smiled, sitting up on her knees on the edge of the bed and holding the covers around her torso. Mike stood in front of her and tucked her hair behind both of her ears, letting his hands rest on her bare shoulders.

“I know,” he said softly. He leaned down to kiss El again, and his lips lingered on hers for a moment before pulling back. “Max will be here in twenty minutes. If you don’t want to miss her, you better start getting ready.” El nodded and stood from the bed to gather her clothes so she could get dressed before brushing her hair and touching up the little bit of makeup she was wearing. She double-checked the overnight duffle bag she had brought, and when she was ready, El and Mike walked downstairs to wait for Max in the living room.

Twenty minutes later, Max’s car pulled into the driveway, and the redhead hopped out of the driver’s seat and hurried to the front door to let herself in. She walked into the living room, following the call of El’s voice letting her know where she and Mike were.

“You ready to go?” Max asked El excitedly. El looked over at Mike and shot him an apologetic look before kissing him on the cheek.

“Yep, I’m ready!” she replied, standing from the couch and grabbing her duffle bag. Mike walked to the front door with El, taking her hand and turning her toward himself when they reached the doorway. He placed his hands on her waist and leaned in to kiss her. Max rolled her eyes as El wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck to pull him closer into the kiss. When El pulled back, she saw Max out of the corner of her eyes with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently.

“You guys act like you won’t be seeing each other again literally tomorrow,” Max said annoyed.

“Be safe, and call me when you get home tomorrow,” Mike said to El, ignoring Max’s annoyance.

“I will, sweetie,” El nodded. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Mike said as El picked up her bag she had set on the floor and she and Max walked out the door toward Max’s car.

“I swear, I have never seen a couple as nauseatingly touchy-feely as you two,” Max said as she drove away from the cul-de-sac and turned en route to the highway.

“Oh, come on, we’re not that bad,” El argued.

“Not that bad? El, you’ve known for days what time I was picking you up today. The makeout session couldn’t have happened before I got there?” Max pointed out.

“It wasn’t a makeout session; it was a goodbye kiss,” El defended herself. “Besides, I thought we were past this whole you-hating-on-Mike thing.”

“I am not hating on Mike,” Max sighed. “It’s just that I know how serious you two have gotten, and if you’re not careful, I think you could run in to the same issue we had a few years ago when all you two wanted to do was be with each other and no one else. I don’t want you to start blowing off me and the rest of your friends just to spend every second with your boyfriend again.”

“It’s not like that,” El assured her. “I know it seemed like that at first when I first moved back to Hawkins last year, but it was only because for the first time after two years, we weren’t going to have to plan to see each other only on holidays and school breaks.”

“I guess you’re right,” Max said slowly, nodding her understanding. “You really did get a lot better once school started last year. Surprisingly, you spent more time at my locker than at Mike’s.”

“See?” El smiled, trying to prove her point.

“Then again, you and I also don’t take the classes that the boys do,” Max pointed out.

“Regardless, you’re my best friend, and I care about spending quality time with you,” El said.

“You better,” Max laughed. “So are you excited for your first visit to a college campus?”

“I don’t know,” El shrugged. “Seeing Robin will be fun, but what are we going to do?”

“Whatever we want. Robin said her mini fridge is stocked with drinks, and she said something about a couple parties going on tonight,” Max replied. “No parents, no teachers. For the next twenty-four hours, you’re going to feel more free than you ever have.” El nodded in response. She thought about Mike’s request for her not to go to any parties, but she decided to keep that to herself to avoid hearing Max talk about how controlling Mike was being. El knew that there was an important difference between being controlling and being protective, and for whatever reason, Max refused to acknowledge that whenever it came to Mike.

For the next hour and a half, the two girls enjoyed sharing gossip they had heard at school, talking about their plans for their senior year they had just started, and listening to music. Finally, they started seeing signs for Indiana State University, and soon Max was pulling into a gas station near campus. Robin had instructed Max to meet her there so she could lead the two girls to the visitor parking lot reserved for visitors of students living in the dorms. After a moment, Max saw Robin waving from the open window of the driver’s seat of her car. Max drove toward her until she was close enough to hear Robin call out for her to follow her to the parking lot. As they drove through campus, El watched out the window as they passed groups of students walking by, studying in the grass, sunbathing in the grass, playing cornhole, and just enjoying their Saturday afternoon. Max came to a stop in a parking spot in a lot marked by a visitor sign, and the two of them got out of the car to greet Robin.

“Max! How are you?!” Robin exclaimed, quickly wrapping Max into a tight hug.

“I’ve been good! How are you? How are classes going?” Max asked, pulling back from the hug.

“So far, so good,” Robin replied. “Hi El!” She turned to give El a hug as well before the three of them piled into Robin’s car and drove toward the dorm that she lived in.

“What do you guys want to do first? Do you want a tour? Are you hungry?” Robin asked after they exited the car. “It’s too beautiful outside to hang out in the dorm.” Max and El agreed as the late August breeze blew through their hair.

“I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving,” Max said. El and Robin agreed that they were hungry as well, so Robin started to lead them toward her favorite on-campus dining option. As they walked through campus, Robin pointed out several different buildings where she attended classes. El watched with wide eyes as Robin pointed these out, wondering how she would ever expect herself to survive in such an environment. El had had hard enough of a time adjusting to high school the previous year when Joyce had moved the family back to Hawkins and El had started her junior year with Will, Mike, and the rest of their friends. After an entire year within the walls of the high school, El felt confident enough for their senior year, but looking around herself now, she saw major concerns raising about college.

“Hello? Earth to El,” Max’s hand waved in front of El’s face to bring her back to the present.

“Sorry,” she blushed.

“I said we’re here. If you want a burger or chicken tenders, go through that door over there. If you want Chinese food, come with me this way,” Robin said. All three girls walked in the direction of Chinese food, and a short time later, they were sitting outside, El’s first experience with college food staring up at her from the tray sitting on the table.

“Are you two down to check out a party or two tonight?” Robin asked, using her chopsticks to maneuver the noodles on her plate.

“Absolutely!” Max exclaimed. Robin and Max looked across the table at El and noticed her look of apprehension.

“I’ve never been to something like that,” El shrugged.

“Max and I will be there the whole time, and if you feel uncomfortable at all, we can leave. But I promise, you’ll be fine,” Robin assured her with a smile. Reluctantly, El nodded, agreeing to accompany them to the party.

After they finished eating, Robin showed them around campus a bit more. She pointed out the library, the basketball arena, and they walked around one of the stores in the student union which was full of university apparel and other merchandise. When Robin had nothing more to show them, the girls headed back toward her dorm, Robin excited to introduce Max and El to her roommate. When they walked into the dorm room, El was shocked at how small it was. It was barely larger than a walk-in closet. There were two desks, one on each wall on either side of the room, and two beds, one at a normal height and the other lofted above a couch. A girl with blonde har and freckles hopped up from the couch wearing a huge smile when the three of them entered the room.

“Max, El, this is my roommate Abby,” Robin introduced. Abby greeted Max and El happily, embracing each of them in a warm hug.

“It’s nice to meet you! Robin has told me a lot about you,” she said through her smile. “How was your look around campus?”

“It was great! There is so much to see and do here. It’s way better than Hawkins,” Max replied with a laugh. 

“Well Robin tells me you two are seniors. Maybe we’ll see you around here next year!” Abby exclaimed.

“Stop trying to recruit them. They’re here to hang out and get away for a night, not to join your sorority,” Robin said with a smirk. Abby cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Excuse me for being welcoming,” she said sarcastically. “Do you two girls want a drink?” Abby walked toward their mini fridge which was situated on the other side of the couch under the lofted bed. El glanced over at Max, unsure of how to respond, but Max quickly responded with her own “Yes please!”

“This is just to loosen you up a bit for the party tonight,” Abby said, handing Max and El each a cup of vodka and pink lemonade. While Abby returned to the mini fridge to make a drink for each Robin and herself, Robin offered Max and El seats on the couch while she situated herself on the bed, leaning back against the wall.

“So El, how are things with Mike?” Robin asked, accepting the drink Abby handed her as Abby climbed onto the bed and sat next to Robin.

“Things with Mike are great,” El replied with a smile. She took a small sip of the beverage in her hand and, to her delight, she really only tasted the pink lemonade.

“You’ve been together how many years now?” Robin questioned.

“It’ll be five years in a couple months,” El said, to which Abby nearly choked on her drink.

“Five years?!” Abby repeated. “What, did you meet when you were babies?”

“We were twelve,” El clarified.

“And he’s the only guy you’ve ever been with?” Abby asked incredulously. El glanced over at Max in confusion, but she was not met with any help from her friend. In fact, El thought she saw almost as much judgement in Max’s eyes as she did in Abby’s.

“Yes, he’s the only guy I’ve ever been with,” El replied, and Abby shook her head. “What’s the big deal?”

“No offense, El. I know that we hardly know each other. But when were you planning on getting out there? Playing the field?” Abby asked. El looked over at Max again for assistance with Abby’s phrases.

“She means when are you going to try dating someone other than Mike,” Max explained.

“Not even date, necessarily. Just experiment with, at the very least,” Abby clarified. El furrowed her brow, taken aback by the insinuation that she needed to be with someone else.

“Why would I want to do that?” El asked.

“Don’t you ever wonder what it might be like to go out with another guy?” Abby asked.

“No, of course not. I love Mike,” El replied.

“I never said you didn’t. I loved Thomas, too,” Abby said. “Thomas was my high school boyfriend. We dated for three years before we moved to different cities for college. We thought we would try out the long-distance thing, but a few weeks in, I began to realize that I owed it to myself to really put myself out there. I was tying myself down to a guy that I met before I could even drive a car. Did I really want him to be the only guy I would ever so much as go on a date with?” El pursed her lips and took another sip of her drink. She had not been expecting to have to defend her relationship this evening.

“Well I don’t feel that way,” El replied dryly. “Mike doesn’t have me tied down. I am with him because I want to be with him.”

“He really is a good kid, and they are great together,” Robin offered El some assistance, and El could see a look of apology in Robin’s eyes for bringing Mike up.

“I’m sure he is. I don’t mean to talk badly about him or anything. Obviously, I’ve never even met him,” Abby said quickly. “I’m just speaking from experience when I suggest that, El, you should consider your options so you don’t wake up one day twenty years from now and realize the rest of your life was decided for you when you were twelve years old.”

“How much vodka did you put in your drink?” Robin joked before turning to El, an apology still in her eyes. “She must be drunk already.” Luckily, they changed the subject and started talking about some guys that were going to be at the party tonight. El was barely listening; she was thinking about what Abby had said. How dare Abby act like she knew anything and El and Mike’s relationship. It was not Abby’s place to give that type of advice. Still, did she have a point? El knew it was unusual for people their age to have already been in a five-year relationship, but she just thought it proved they were soulmates. She gulped down the rest of her drink and pushed Abby’s negativity out of her mind. Of course she and Mike were soulmates. Abby didn’t know what she was talking about.

Later that night, Robin and Abby started going through their closets to find outfits to wear to the party. When Abby looked in Max and El’s bags and saw the clothes they had packed, she turned up her nose and offered to find them something in her closet. She laid out a black scoop-neck dress for El and a red top and black skirt for Max. El changed into the dress which ended mid-thigh and was more form-fitting than she was used to. Abby then sat El down and teased her hair a bit to give it more volume, and she added a bit more makeup, as El generally wore a natural look. When they were ready to go, El looked in the mirror and widened her eyes in shock at how much older she looked simply from wearing her hair and makeup differently.

“You two look fantastic!” Abby squealed, proud of herself for her part in their makeovers. The four girls exited the dorm and began the walk toward the other side of campus. El noticed it seemed like the amount of people walking through campus now had doubled since the afternoon, and they were all dressed up like they were going to parties as well. Was this what Saturday nights were always like?

“Tonight may be a little extra rowdy,” Robin said, almost as if she had read El’s mind. “It is everyone’s first weekend back here.”

After a while, they approached a large white house. People filled the spacious porch and the balcony above the porch, and the sound of the music inside seemed to actually rattle the building. El looked up at the Greek letters adorned in the center of the house above the balcony, and she knew this was exactly the type of party that Mike had asked her not to go to. She took a deep breath and followed Abby and Max inside the house, Robin right behind her. When they opened the front door, the sound of the music seemed to double in volume, and there were people packed in shoulder-to-shoulder. The girls made their way through the foyer to find some space in the living room.

“Let’s get some drinks,” Abby hollered and pointed in the direction that El assumed was the kitchen. They walked past groups of people, some dancing, some talking, some making out in ways El never thought people actually did in public. When they reached the kitchen, there were a couple different large punch bowls with plastic cups set up on the counter. Abby started grabbing cups and scooping the red liquid into them, and El accepted the one she was handed. She took a sip and scrunched her face up at how bitter it tasted.

“What’s in this?” she asked, pointing at her cup. Abby shrugged as she took a giant swig of her own. The girls headed back toward the living room, bumping in to people along the way. Max and El sat next to each other on the arm of the couch while Robin and Abby stood facing them, drinking their beverages. When the song changed, Abby squealed in excitement and started moving her hips to the beat of the new song. El watched in shock when a man walked up behind Abby, placed his hands on her hips, and started moving right along with her. Did Abby know this man? El didn’t think so. Yet Abby seemed to enjoy dancing with him.

“Let’s go get another,” Max said into El’s ear, pointing at her empty cup. El looked down at her own cup which was still half full and then back up at Max. “Just chug it!” El looked at the red liquid again and hesitantly brought it to her mouth before downing the contents in three large gulps.

“Woooo! That’s what I’m talking about!” Abby yelled, pointing at El in excitement after El had finished her drink. El and Max stood and disappeared again to the kitchen to refill their cups. When they returned to the couch, Abby’s mouth was attacking the mouth of the guy who had come to dance with her, and Robin seemed to be engulfed in conversation with a petite dark-haired girl along the wall. Max and El reclaimed their seats on the arm of the couch, and El started sipping her drink. It didn’t taste quite as bitter to her, and she wasn’t sure why, but it seemed to be going down a lot more smoothly than her first cup had. El felt herself start to sway back and forth to the music that was filling her head, and she felt her feelings of discomfort and apprehension about attending the party leave her mind and become replaced with happiness as if she didn’t have a care in the world. 

“Hey!” A male voice greeted them. El looked up to see two guys standing before herself and Max. One had thick blonde hair and striking blue eyes and stood an entire foot taller than her. The other had chestnut hair, green eyes, and tan skin. “Wanna dance?” El started to shake her head. She smiled politely, about to decline by saying they both had boyfriends, but Max suddenly grabbed ahold of El’s hand and pulled her to her feet.

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Max exclaimed, leading El a few steps away. Max kept ahold of El’s hand as she started moving her body to the rhythm of the music that filled the house. Since Max was with her, El felt comfortable swaying and began to mirror Max’s movements to the music. As the song changed, Max tilted her head back and gulped down the rest of her drink, and the blonde guy disappeared down the hallway without saying a word. He returned a moment later carrying two more plastic cups filled with the red liquid. He handed one to Max and gestured toward El’s cup, suggesting she had to finish hers before she could have more. El took the final drink and then traded her empty cup for the full one that the guy offered her.

Max and El kept dancing to the music and taking sips of their drinks. El watched as the guy with the darker hair pressed himself up behind Max, placing his hands on her hips, and he and Max seemed to move in sync to the music. El smiled when she felt someone press up behind her as well. She moved her hand down and laced her fingers between the fingers of the hand that was on her hip, and she continued to move her hips to the music, sipping her drink. As she finished her cup once again, she felt the parted lips of the person behind her touch her neck and begin lightly sucking, followed by a tongue gently gliding over the skin. El tilted her head back, a small moan escaping her lips, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the blonde hair. El’s drooping eyes shot wide open when the realization hit her that this wasn’t Mike. She threw the hand that she was holding off of her and took a step forward quickly, turning around to face the guys she had been dancing with.

“What the hell?” he said angrily.

“I… I… need to use the bathroom,” El mumbled, not caring if he or Max heard her excuse. El began to stumble down the hallway until she reached the open bathroom door. She turned inside the room and closed and locked the door, leaning her back against it and sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. El was breathing heavily and her eyes filled with tears as the guilt started to set it. She reached out and ripped off some toilet paper to dry her face with and placed a hand over her chest while she heaved through her tears. When she was calming down, El began to shakily stand up and walked toward the bathroom sink. She looked at herself in the mirror over the sink and noticed that she couldn’t stand still. Even grasping the edge of the sink, El was swaying back and forth. She stared into the reflection of her glazed eyes while she wiped the tears and eyeliner that had begun to streak.

“You’re okay. Pull yourself together,” she whispered to herself. She hadn’t really done anything wrong, after all. She was just dancing with her friend Max. Sure, she was caught up in the moment at first and let another man dance with her, but when reality kicked in and she noticed it wasn’t Mike, El had immediately pushed him away and left the situation. There was nothing she could have done differently. El took a deep breath and threw the toilet paper into the trash can. When she opened the bathroom door, Max and Robin were waiting outside and quickly pushed their way into the bathroom with El, closing the door behind them.

“Are you okay?” Robin asked.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” El nodded. “I just… got a little freaked out I guess.”

“This is your first time being drunk, isn’t it?” Robin realized. El nodded again. “Okay, let’s grab Abby and head back to the dorm.”

“No, you don’t have to do that because of me,” El protested.

“It’s okay, El. Robin and I are ready to go anyway,” Max insisted. El knew that Max was having a good time, but she wasn’t going to argue. El nodded her agreeance, and the three of them left the bathroom to find Abby. 

A few minutes later, the four girls were walking back to the other side of campus where Robin and Abby’s dorm was. They hadn’t been counting how many cups Abby had drank, but she was stumbling worse than the other three. Robin had one of Abby’s arms around her neck to stabilize her as they walked down the sidewalk. El knew they were taking the same path that they had taken several hours prior, but it seemed like the walk had doubled in length. When they finally reached Abby and Robin’s dorm, Abby flopped onto her bed, passing out almost immediately. Robin pulled out the couch into a full-size bed and offered Max and El some pillows and blankets. They prepared for bed, and moments after Robin turned the lights out, El heard Robin’s soft snoring from the lofted bed above, and she heard Max’s slow and steady breathing from beside her on the pullout couch. El stared straight up at the dark ceiling, her head still spinning from the liquor, and laid there for hours before falling asleep.

The next day, the girls awoke and got breakfast from the dining hall downstairs in the dorm. After showering and getting their bags packed again, Max and El hugged Abby goodbye, and Robin led them down to her car to give them a ride to the visitor parking lot where they had parked the previous day. Max and El thanked Robin for letting them stay the night and showing them a good time. Soon, the two of them were on the road back to Hawkins, riding in silence as El watched the scenery pass out the window.

“That was so much fun. We should come stay again sometime,” Max said, breaking the silence. She waited to see if El would respond, and she did not. “El, is something wrong?”

“You agree with Abby, don’t you?” El asked, turning to face Max. “About Mike and I.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked, furrowing her brow.

“She was saying all that stuff about how I need to be with other guys, and the only person who tried to defend me was Robin,” El said. Max felt guilty when she saw a trace of hurt in El’s eyes.

“I just think she had some valid points,” Max sighed. “You’re only seventeen, and you’re already in a relationship that has lasted longer than some marriages. Mike is the only guy you’ve ever dated, the only guy you’ve ever kissed, the only guy you’ve ever had sex with.”

“So?” El said defensively.

“So, I can’t imagine if Lucas and I had only ever been with each other,” Max continued.

“Are you saying Mike and I should break up every few months like you and Lucas do?” El asked in disbelief.

“I know you don’t understand the structure of mine and Lucas’s relationship,” Max said. “I really do care about him. Hell, I would even say I love him. But I love him as a person because he is such a great guy. And sure, we may end up together forever someday, but right now, we have a mutual understanding that our relationship remains casual. We both wanted to be able to see what’s out there so that we know we are making the right choice to be together if we end up together.”

“I just don’t understand how you could want that if you love someone,” El said in confusion.

“When I say I love Lucas, I mean just that. I love him. He’s a great guy, I want to be around him, I care about him and what’s going on in his life. I don’t mean that I am in love with him and dream about getting married and having his children. We’re only seventeen,” Max explained. 

“So… you think I should break up with Mike so I can see other people?” El asked.

“I only think you should do that if you think it would be beneficial for you,” Max replied. “I told you to break up with Mike once, and you listened, and that lasted all of two days. But we are older now, and you need to be able to make your own decisions about what you want out of your relationship. I just want you to understand that you do have options.” El nodded.

“I understand,” she said, turning to look out the window again. After a few minutes, another question crossed El’s mind. “Do you think Mike thinks about this too? Do you think he wonders what it would be like with other girls?”

“I don’t know, maybe,” Max shrugged. “He’s honestly never said anything about it to me or to Lucas as far as I know. But maybe you should bring it up, talk about it. Just see where his mind is with everything.” El leaned back against the headrest of the passenger seat and molded over Max’s advice. The two barely spoke the rest of the ride home.

“Thanks for driving,” El said when Max pulled up to her house. El reached over and gave Max a hug before grabbing her bag and stepping out of the car. As Max drove away, El walked inside and was greeted by Joyce and Will sitting on the couch watching television.

“El! Welcome home,” Joyce stood to hug her daughter. “Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah, we had a lot of fun,” El replied with a smile.

“Just think, you’ll be applying to colleges yourself this year,” Joyce said, which made El briefly think about being in that environment with so many people all the time.

“Well now I know a bit more of what to expect,” El replied. “I’m going to go call Mike and let him know I’m home. Do you care if he comes over?”

“Of course not,” Joyce waved her hand. El went into the kitchen and dialed Mike’s phone number.

“Hello?” said a female voice after the third ring.

“Hi Mrs. Wheeler. Is Mike home?” El asked.

“He is. Just a second, dear,” Karen said on the other end. El heard Karen’s muffled voice call for Mike, and a moment later he answered the phone.

“Hey baby, how was your trip?” Mike asked when he got on the phone.

“I can tell you all about it when you get here. Wanna come over?” El asked.

“Sure. I’ll see you in a little bit. I love you,” Mike said.

“I love you too,” El replied before hanging up the phone. She was confused by the subtle lingering feeling of guilt in her stomach, but she ignored it while she waited for Mike to arrive. When he got there, after briefly chatting with Joyce and Will, Mike followed El down the hallway into her bedroom. She sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her, waiting for Mike to join her, which he did. Mike lifted his hand to the side of El’s face and guided her lips to his.

“I missed you,” he said softly when the kiss had ended.

“I missed you too,” El smiled. 

“So, how was it? How’s Robin doing? What did you guys do?” Mike asked. El didn’t answer right away; she looked into the brown eyes that were looking back at her and felt foolish for even letting the idea cross her mind that she could ever consider being with anyone else. 

“We can talk about that later,” El said before biting her bottom lip and shifting her body over Mike’s so she was straddling him on the bed, pinning him between herself and the wall. She leaned forward to kiss him, his lips parting to accept her tongue into his mouth while his hands roamed over her body. Abby and Max were wrong, El told herself. This is all she ever wanted, and nothing would be able to change that.


	2. Chapter 2

Nearly two weeks had passed since El and Max had visited Robin. Originally, El thought that Max and Abby had been completely wrong. She knew she was happy with Mike. She loved him; he loved her. So what if neither of them had any other relationship experience? El didn’t think they needed to have loved other people to know that their love is real. Still, as the days passed, El found her eyes wandering toward other guys that she saw in the hallways at school. She felt guilty for looking at other guys and for wondering what it might be like to go on a “first date” with one of them or experience another “first kiss.” While her eyes wandered, El never acted on it. She knew that what she had with Mike was special, and she knew she could never act on any of these impulses and risk what she had with him. Still, El thought it may be worth trying to talk to Mike about what she was feeling. She could not forget the possibility that Mike may have had similar thoughts. Surely, if he had thought about what it would be like to see other girls, then he wouldn’t be too upset about her thinking about what it would be like to see other guys. El knew that she would have to talk to him. More than anything, she felt guilty about hiding so much from him, from the college party, to Max and Abby’s advice, to what she was thinking now. She had always been able to talk to Mike about anything. He deserved to know what was on her mind.

Mike was in his advanced placement chemistry class, staring at the clock on the wall while his teacher wrapped up the lesson for the day. Will and his lab partner were seated two rows behind Mike and his own lab partner. Mike and Will had been disappointed that Mr. Anderson had insisted on assigned seating, but both of the boys ended up getting along well with their assigned lab partners.

“I want everyone’s lab reports turned in at the start of class on Friday,” Mr. Anderson, Hawkins High School’s advanced placement chemistry teacher, said, addressing the class thirty seconds before the bell was to ring, signaling the end of class.

“Wanna meet after school at the library tomorrow to finish it?” Lindsey suggested, glancing over at Mike while they both loaded their chemistry books back into their backpacks.

“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Mike answered his lab partner. As the bell rang, the two of them stood and walked from the classroom and down the hallway.

“Great,” Lindsey smiled. “And don’t hate me, but I don’t know how much help my notes will be. I have no idea how I tested out of regular chem. I swear I feel like an idiot in this class.”

“Well you shouldn’t, and I don’t hate you,” Mike said as the two of them came to a halt where Mike would continue walking forward to his locker and Lindsey would head down the adjoining hallway to hers. “Lucky for you, I do understand the class, and I’ll explain my notes to you.”

“Mike, you’re literally my saving grace this year. I would absolutely be failing if it weren’t for you,” Lindsey said, twisting the end of a strand of her long auburn hair.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Mike chuckled, glancing over at Will who was waiting for him. “But hey, I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” They bid each other goodbye and each turned their own way to walk toward their respective lockers. 

“Better hope El doesn’t see Lindsey flirting with you like that,” Will smirked as he and Mike walked toward Mike’s locker.

“What are you talking about? Lindsey wasn’t flirting with me. Besides, she knows about El. I talk about her all the time,” Mike said, opening his locker to gather what he needed to take home for the night.

“She might know about El, but that doesn’t mean she cares. Just be careful. Need I remind you about the time El knocked Max off her skateboard with her mind because she saw the two of you talking and smiling?” Will said.

“Well, then it sounds like Lindsey’s the one who needs to be careful, doesn’t it?” Mike laughed, shutting his locker to reveal El standing on the other side. She had just arrived from her last class of the day.

“Who is Lindsey? And why does she need to be careful?” El asked. 

“Lindsey’s my lab partner, and it was nothing, just Will being Will,” Mike brushed off the comment about Lindsey needing to be careful. He leaned down to peck El on the lips and took her hand in his as the three of them walked out of the school for the day.

On the car ride home, El was considering talking with Mike tonight. She still wasn’t sure about whether or not she should actually break up with him, and she figured she wouldn’t know for sure until she was in the moment, but she knew he deserved to know what was on her mind. El thought of Lindsey’s name again and wished she had been able to see Mike interact with her. If El could see any clues pointing to the idea that Mike may actually be interested in seeing other girls, she would be a lot less conflicted about the conversation she knew was coming. 

“Will, you’ll need to drive yourself and El to school tomorrow,” Mike said suddenly, remembering his conversation with Lindsey. “I have to meet Lindsey at the library to finish our chem lab after school, so I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“You’re meeting up with Lindsey tomorrow?” El asked, turning to face Mike as he drove.

“Yeah, we have this assignment due on Friday. You’re okay if I go to the library with her, right?” Mike asked.

“Of course,” El replied. Mike reached over and squeezed her hand as El turned to look out the window the rest of the drive home.

When they arrived at the Byers’ house, no one was home, as Joyce’s shift did not end until 8PM. Will went down the hallway to his room to work on his homework, while Mike and El retreated to El’s room. A little while later, El and Mike were sitting on her bed doing homework; Mike was helping El with her Algebra II assignment. Her mind was not on algebra, not that it usually was when she was trying to do her homework. Although today, she wasn’t struggling to focus because of her preference of geometry over algebra. Her thoughts of the conversation that she knew was coming with Mike had only intensified since the car ride. She knew she had been able to suppress her feelings of guilt periodically over the past nearly two weeks, but she also knew those feelings always found their way back. El knew that she would not move past the guilt for good until she was completely honest with Mike about what she had been thinking. She had to tell him everything, and she knew that started with the party.

“Mike, there’s something I have to tell you,” she blurted out. Mike stopped mid-sentence, not that El had heard what he was saying anyway, and laid his pencil down on the notebook El was holding in her lap. She closed the notebook and set it next to her on the bed, turning to sit cross-legged facing Mike.

“Okay, what is it?” Mike asked, hoping he didn’t look as terrified as he felt. The look on El’s face told him that whatever she had to say was important.

“I haven’t been completely honest about everything that I did when Max and I went to visit Robin a couple weekends ago,” El began. 

“What are you talking about?” Mike asked slowly, unsure of where this was going and trying to stop all the worst-case scenarios that were playing through his mind. El took a deep breath and reached out to lay her hand on top of Mike’s.

“We went to a party at some big house,” she started.

“A frat house?” Mike offered. El thought back to the Greek letters that had been displayed on the front of the house.

“Yes,” she replied. “I don’t know what was in the red drink they had there, but I had a few cups of it and I started to feel… weird. I was happy, and I couldn’t stand still.”

“You got drunk,” Mike chuckled. El nodded; Robin had pointed out it was El’s first time being drunk. “Was that all?”

“What do you mean?” El asked.

“You said you had something to tell me. Was it just that you went to a party and got drunk for the first time?” Mike asked, feeling like there was more that El wanted to say.

“Are you not mad about that?” El studied Mike’s face, and he genuinely did not look upset with her.

“I mean, I would’ve liked to be there with you your first time to make sure you were careful, but no I’m not mad. I trust you,” Mike explained, leaning forward to kiss El’s lips. El didn’t respond to the kiss, but she sat unmoving while Mike’s lips brushed against hers. Mike pulled back, confused by how El was acting, when he saw on her face that she had more to say.

“Mike, do you ever think about other girls?” El asked.

“What?” Mike managed, dumbfounded by the question.

“Do you ever wonder what it might be like to be with someone else?” El clarified after a long exhale. Mike’s eyes widened in shock and his mouth dropped open halfway.

“Is this about Lindsey?” Mike asked, hoping El hadn’t gotten the wrong idea in the car earlier. “I promise she’s just a girl in my class.”

“It’s not about Lindsey,” El replied, though learning about Lindsey had helped El consider the idea that Mike may be interested in other girls. “Just please answer the question.”

“No… No, of course I don’t think about being with anyone else,” Mike said. “Why would I?”

“We’ve just been together for so long, and I’m the only girl you’ve ever been with,” El explained. 

“Yeah, so? I’m the only guy you’ve ever been with too,” Mike said. He watched her face while she avoided eye contact with him, and he felt as though a ton of bricks hit his stomach when he made a certain realization. “Wait. Do you… do you want to go out with other guys?” He felt himself holding his breath, waiting for El’s response as she continued to stare at the ground. El’s mind was racing, and suddenly, the confusion she had been feeling disappeared, and she knew what she had to do. Slowly, her eyes moved up to meet his, and in them Mike could read the answer to his question.

“I just think it might be good for us both if we try to see other people for a while,” El explained. She heard the words as they rolled off her tongue, she and Mike learning in that same moment that El had decided to break up with him. Mike leaned back against the wall and blinked his eyes quickly, trying to keep the tears from forming.

“Who is he?” he demanded.

“Who is who?” El asked, confused.

“The other guy,” Mike said, standing suddenly from El’s bed and pacing a couple steps before turning to face her.

“What? Th-there is no other guy,” El replied, scooting to the edge of the bed and looking up at Mike.

“Bullshit,” Mike spat. “There’s gotta be a reason you feel this way all of a sudden. Who the fuck is he?”

“Mike, I promise, there isn’t another guy,” El said sincerely. She felt the knots in her stomach again as she realized how badly she was hurting him.

“Then why?” Mike asked, his voice breaking. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat before continuing. “Why are you suddenly interested in other guys? Am I not good enough for you anymore?”

“Baby, that’s not it,” El said quickly, grabbing one of his hands in both of hers and pulling him down onto the edge of the bed next to her. She looked straight into his tear-filled eyes and felt her own heart breaking from the pain she was causing him. “I just think that some time apart will be good for us. We’ve only ever been with each other, and the last five years have been everything I could’ve asked for in life. You saved me.”

“Then why?” Mike repeated, causing El to wince at the pain in his voice. “We’ve been together too long? You’re bored of me? You don’t love me anymore?”

“Stop it,” El said as tears started to fall down her cheeks. “You know I love you. I love you so much. But I don’t want one of us to wake up one day twenty years from now and regret never seeing what else was out there. I want us to both be one hundred percent positive-”

“Okay, well I am one hundred percent positive. El, I don’t care what else is out there. You’re the only thing I want in life. I will never regret being with you twenty years from now, thirty years from now, hell, eighty years from now. I don’t have any doubts, El. So don’t you dare sit here and try to act like you’re doing this for me,” Mike said. He watched El bite her bottom lip as she tried to hold back as many tears as she could, and when more tears began to spill down El’s face, Mike couldn’t help but soften with her. “El, please don’t do this. I love you more than anything else in the world.” El was silent for a long moment. She knew in this moment that she could stop this; she could change her mind and stay with Mike. She could apologize and say she was wrong. But something inside of her told her that this was something she had to do. No matter how much she loved him and how much this hurt, El knew that she had to follow this gut instinct that was telling her to take all the time and space that she needed. She just knew that she would never put these feelings of guilt and wondering to rest otherwise. She only wished she didn’t have to break Mike’s heart in the process.

“I’m sorry, Mike,” El whispered through her tears. “The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. But I need to do this. I just need some time to figure out what I want.” Mike sniffed and wiped the tears from his face.

“Fuck it,” Mike muttered as he stood from the bed once again. “Take all the fucking time you need, El.”

“Mike…” El stood from the bed and lifted her hand to reach out to him, but Mike jerked away before she could make contact.

“Don’t touch me,” he said firmly. “I need to get out of here.” Mike threw El’s bedroom door open and stormed into the hallway, leaving El alone in the middle of the room consumed in her own tears. A moment later, she heard the front door slam shut.

Mike took quick, long strides from the Byers’ front door to his car. By the time he was seated behind the steering wheel, he had lost what little control he had left over his tear ducts. Mike laid his arms on top of the steering wheel and rested his forehead against them, his body shaking while he sobbed. He started trying to take some deep breaths to calm himself. The last thing he needed was for El to follow him outside and see him broken down like this. Mike leaned his head back against the driver’s seat and stared blankly ahead out the windshield. El’s words echoed in his mind, and a wave of nausea ran through his body at the thought of El with another guy. He shook his head, trying to shake that thought out of his mind, and he knew that he needed more answers. Mike looked at the front door and knew he couldn’t go back inside. He couldn’t face El again. He wouldn’t be able to get any words out before dropping to his knees and begging her to stay with him, and Mike refused to look that pathetic. Mike closed his eyes and replayed the start of the conversation. This all started because of a party she had gone to with Max. He opened his eyes and turned on his car, driving to the only person who would be able to shed some clarity on the heartbreak he had just endured.

Mike pounded on the front door of the Sinclair house. A moment later, Lucas opened the door and was surprised to see Mike standing on his porch. His welcoming smile faded into concern and confusion when he saw Mike’s red eyes.

“Is she here?” Mike asked.

“Is who here? What’s wrong? Mike, what happened?” Lucas asked as he stepped to the side, opening the door wider. Mike ignored his friend’s questions and stormed quickly past him and toward the living room.

“Max? Max, are you here?” Mike called out as he made his way to the living room. When he turned into the doorway, he saw a perplexed Max looking up at him from the couch, her mouth opened to respond, although when she saw the look on Mike’s face, she could not find any words to say.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Lucas tried again.

“I need you to tell me everything that happened at that party you and El went to that weekend,” Mike demanded, pointing at Max. As heartbroken as Mike was, all he could feel in that moment as he stared at Max was anger. Maybe it was just easier for him to be angry at Max than at El.

“Seriously, Mike? You’re this upset that your girlfriend went to a party? Let her live a little,” Max said, leaning back against the couch cushion.

“El broke up with me today,” Mike spat, and he noticed that Max’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“What?! Man, I am so sorry. Did she say why?” Lucas asked, firmly patting his hand onto Mike’s shoulder.

“She said she thinks it would be better for both of us to see other people. She wants us to be sure about each other so we don’t wake up in the future regretting only ever being with each other,” Mike explained.

“So what does a party have to do with any of that?” Lucas asked in confusion.

“Right before she told me she was interested in seeing other guys, she told me she and Max had gone to a frat party,” Mike replied, staring accusingly at Max. “So I want to know what happened at that party.”

“Nothing happened at the party!” Max exclaimed. “We went, we drank, we danced, we had a great time. It was the most fun I’ve seen El have in a while, actually. Until…”

“Until what?” Mike demanded.

“El and I were already a bit tipsy at this point, and a couple of guys came over and asked us to dance,” Max began. She noticed Mike tense up at the mention of the other guys. “She started shaking her head to say no, but I said yes and dragged her with me.”

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Mike yelled, feeling his blood begin to boil again.

“Because dancing is fun, and El needs to be able to have a good time even when you’re not around,” Max replied defensively. Lucas gave Mike’s shoulder a squeeze, and Mike took a deep breath to calm himself before Max continued. “Anyway, El and I were dancing together, and she wasn’t even paying any attention to either guy. But then after a while, one of them started dancing with me and the other started dancing with El. She was still doing okay until he started kissing her neck-”

“He did WHAT?” Mike bellowed, taking a step further into the living room. He clenched his fists tightly at his side as he thought about another man kissing El’s neck. Mike knows what that does for El, and he couldn’t handle the thought of someone else making her feel that way.

“As soon as he started kissing her, she realized what was going on and she pushed him away. She started freaking out, and we left. Nothing happened, I swear,” Max finished.

“Nothing happened?” Mike repeated. “You encouraged her to dance with some random guy, and then she practically cheated on me with him, and then she hid it from me for almost two weeks until she finally broke up with me so she can see other guys?!”

“She did not cheat on you,” Max rolled her eyes and stood from the couch to face Mike. “She stopped it as soon as he crossed the line, and she ran to the bathroom and bawled her eyes out. You didn’t see her face afterward. She felt so guilty.”

“Okay, great, she felt guilty because she knew it was wrong to do that while she had a boyfriend. So of course the easy solution is getting rid of the boyfriend so she can go fuck whoever she wants without feeling guilty,” Mike yelled.

“She is not just going to go around fucking other guys,” Max insisted with another eye roll. “She just wants to get out there a bit and see what’s out there. She’s been tied down to one person since she was twelve years old, and she wants a break from that. Is that so wrong?” Mike was silent as Max’s words processed in his mind.

“Did you know she was going to break up with me?” he asked as calmly as he could.

“No,” Max answered quickly. “She and I talked about it a bit in the car on the way home, and I told her that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider seeing what else is out there, but that she should only do it if she thinks it was something she really needed to do.”

“I can’t believe this,” Mike muttered, running his hand through his hair. “This is the second time you’ve talked El into breaking up with me. Just because you were sneakier about it this time doesn’t mean you didn’t know exactly what you were doing getting in her head like that. I don’t know what I ever did to make you hate me so much-”

“I do not hate you, Michael. I just want what’s best for El,” Max said. “As you know, she is her own person. If she didn’t think we had some valid points, then she wouldn’t have considered our advice.”

“We?” Mike asked.

“Me and Robin’s roommate Abby,” Max explained hesitantly.

“A girl who has never even met me was telling El to break up with me?” Mike clarified angrily.

“She was just saying that El should be absolutely sure about being with you, especially since you’ve been together so long. Abby knows what she’s talking about from experience. She and her boyfriend dated for three years before they broke up for other people,” Max said.

“Abby and her boyfriend probably didn’t go through nearly half the shit that El and I have,” Mike pointed out. “You guys had no right to do that. If I had known it was going to be twenty-four hours of shit-talking me and pushing El to dump me, I-”

“You what? You wouldn’t have let her go?” Max interrupted, placing her hands on her hips angrily.

“That’s not what I was going to say,” Mike said.

“Sure it isn’t,” Max said sarcastically. “For the record, I didn’t make this decision for El, but I completely support it.”

“Max!” Lucas hissed. Max jumped and faced her boyfriend, surprised by his scold, as he had remained silent through the entire argument.

“What?” Max said before turning back to Mike. She sighed deeply before addressing him again. “Look, I know you don’t believe me, but I am not out to sabotage your future with El. If this is what she feels like she needs to do, I support her. And I think it will be good for her to know what it’s like to be a single girl in high school. Honestly, Mike, it’ll be good for you too. You’ve never had the chance to go out with another girl. I think this really has the potential to help both of you. At least once you both have someone else to compare it to, you’ll know if you’re sure about each other.”

“I was sure about El without the help from your little experiment,” Mike said.

“Well, you should want her to be sure too,” Max replied calmly. Mike sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.

“I’m going home. I need to think about everything,” he said. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Lucas asked.

“No, I’m not okay. But I’m not going to do anything stupid,” Mike replied, turning to leave the living room. As Max sat back down on the couch, Mike stopped and turned to face her once more. “Max, just do me a favor and stay away from me for a while. I don’t want to see you.” Lucas walked with Mike to the front door, and after Max heard the door close, she was rejoined by her boyfriend on the couch.

“I can’t believe you got yourself involved in their relationship again,” Lucas said, shaking his head.

“El is my best friend. I told her what I thought was right,” Max defended herself. “So please, don’t lecture me. I just spent the last part of my evening being screamed at.”

“He’s just hurting right now. Give him some time,” Lucas said about Mike. He put his arm around Max, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Did El really not tell you she was going to go through with breaking up with him?”

“No. I really thought she was just going to stay with him,” Max replied, sitting up. “Which reminds me, I’m going to go call her and make sure she’s doing okay.” Max got up and went into the kitchen to call El and hear her side of the breakup.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, El tried to act as normal as possible, despite how tired she was from her lack of sleep. She only ate a few bites of her Eggos before throwing them away saying she just wasn’t hungry. Yet, when Joyce asked her if everything was okay, El smiled and nodded, simply saying that she kept waking up overnight. El and Will left for school, and Will kept sneaking glances at his sister as she sat in the passenger seat, her head leaning against the window, not saying a word.

“El, I heard a lot of yelling last night. You don’t have to tell me what happened, but if you need anything, you know I’m here for you,” Will said gently. El looked Will’s way and nodded her appreciation, swallowing hard and not daring to speak about what happened last night. The rest of the ride to school was silent as El worked to mentally prepare herself for how different things were going to be. Who was she going to talk to during the day or sit with at lunch? The boys were all Mike’s friends first, after all, and even though Max was her best friend, she was dating Lucas. Will pulled into a parking spot, and when El walked inside the school and approached her locker, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Max waiting for her, leaning against her locker door.

“Good morning,” Max greeted her.

“Is it?” El yawned, opening her locker and getting her things ready for her morning classes.

“You look exhausted,” Max observed, looking at El’s droopy eyes and lack of makeup.

“I couldn’t sleep,” El explained, and Max nodded her understanding.

“Well, like I said last night, I’m proud of you for doing what you need to do for you. And don’t worry about Mike. He’ll get over it eventually and stop being such a dick,” Max said with a wave of her hand.

“Mike is not being a dick,” El came to his defense. “How was he supposed to react? One day he thinks things are completely normal, and then the next day I’m breaking up with him. It’s not like he had a warning.”

“I guess you’re right,” Max relented, cocking her head to the side. “So do you want to meet at my locker after fourth period for lunch?”

“You want to go to lunch with me?” El asked surprised.

“Of course. We eat lunch together every day, why wouldn’t I?” Max laughed.

“I just figured you would go with Lucas and everyone like normal,” El shrugged. Max offered El a sad smile when she realized that El had expected everyone to take Mike’s side and abandon her, and it seemed like El had accepted that was going to happen.

“I see Lucas enough as it is. The boys can eat by themselves,” Max assured her. “Besides, Lucas isn’t too happy with me for my involvement in yours and Mike’s relationship.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought your name into it at all,” El said sincerely. When Max had called her the previous night, asking if El was okay, El had been surprised to learn that Mike had left her house to go confront Max. Max told her that things got pretty heated, and El had started to feel guilty.

“It’s okay,” Max smiled. “It would’ve come out eventually. What’s done is done.” Just then, the warning bell rang to signal that only three minutes remained before the start of first period. Max and El parted ways, El heading toward her English Literature class.

El slipped into the classroom and took her normal seat in the second to last row. She hoped the teacher planned to lecture the whole period and not expect a lot of classroom involvement, because El was finding it difficult to stay awake already as she sat at her desk. She wondered how she was going to be able to focus on anything over the next seven hours. Mrs. Malone walked in as the bell rang, and the students grumbled as she instructed them to open their anthologies so she could introduce a new unit.

“I know you’re all excited for the Edgar Allan Poe unit that I promised you next month to lead up to Halloween, but this is the last unit you have to get through before we start that one,” Mrs. Malone said. “We’re going to study two works of William Shakespeare. The first will be Hamlet.”

“If she makes us read Romeo and Juliet, I’m going to gag myself,” El heard someone mutter behind her.

“The second will be Julius Caesar,” Mrs. Malone concluded. El chuckled when she heard a relieved sigh and “thank God” from behind her. For the next forty minutes, Mrs. Malone had the students follow along in their anthologies as she gave them an overview of Shakespeare’s life and writing style. Before wrapping up for the day, she passed out a worksheet to correspond with the section of Hamlet she instructed the students to read that evening. 

As El was packing her books back up, she snuck a glance behind her at the boy who was leaning against the back wall waiting for the bell to dismiss them. He was tall with light brown hair and a square jaw. After a moment, his green eyes darted from the clock on the wall down to El, and El felt herself blush when he caught her looking at him. She quickly looked away and swung her backpack over her shoulder, staring straight ahead at the door, feeling the boy’s eyes on her. When the bell rang, El walked quickly out into the hallway and disappeared into the swarm of students.

A couple hours later, fourth period had come and gone, and El was walking toward Max’s locker to meet for lunch. She wasn’t surprised that she had made it the whole morning without seeing Mike, as none of their classes were shared, and El made it a point to walk directly from class to class without spending any unnecessary time in the halls. She knew she would see him at lunch though. There was no avoiding it. El wondered how he was doing, though she was sure she knew the answer. Knowing from Max what Lucas had witnessed last night, El wondered what he and Mike had told Dustin and Will. Before she could worry too much about what the boys were thinking and saying about her, El was joined by Max.

“You ready to go?” Max asked, shoving her belongings into her locker. El nodded, and the two girls walked toward the cafeteria, Max babbling about an essay she had to finish by the end of next week. Max and El stood in line to get their food, and while Max was grabbing them each a drink, El scanned the room for a table to sit at. Max rejoined her and pointed at a small table near a window on the far wall, and the two girls went to claim it.

“So how are you doing? Any better than this morning?” Max asked. 

“Hm? Yeah, I’m fine,” El said absently as she continued to watch the door. She bounced her leg anxiously as each student who wasn’t Mike entered the room. “Have you seen Mike today?” El turned back to face Max.

“Don’t do this,” Max said. “You can’t be worrying about him and how he’s doing. You did this for yourself, so you need to focus on yourself.”

“I know,” El sighed. “I’m just wondering if I made the right choice. I mean, I feel like I did. I still feel like this is something I need to do. But I also wish that I didn’t, if that makes any sense. I just want to know that he’s doing okay.”

“It’s normal to feel some regret right now. But the worst thing you can do is obsess over where Mike is and what he’s doing. You feel like you did the right thing, and it will get easier with time,” Max explained. 

“Lucas, watch my food. I forgot to grab silverware,” El’s head snapped toward the unmistakable sound of Dustin’s voice, and sure enough, she saw the curly-haired boy hurrying back to the beginning of the lunch line while Lucas settled his tray at the seat across from where Dustin had been. A moment later, Lucas was joined by Will who sat next to Dustin’s seat, and El felt her stomach turn over when she saw Mike sit next to Lucas. His back was to her, so she couldn’t see his face, but at least she knew he was here. 

“Are you happy now?” Max asked, moving her hand in front of El’s line of vision to direct her gaze back to their own table. 

“Should I go talk to him? He didn’t exactly leave on good terms last night,” El said.

“No,” Max replied firmly. “I know this is all new territory for you, so please listen closely and trust me. He does not want to talk to you right now. Going over there would only upset you and him even more. Just give it time, and I promise this will get easier for you.”

“Okay,” El nodded after a moment of considering Max’s words. El tried to eat her lunch, but she kept finding herself glancing over at Mike, wishing he would turn around. As Max and El stood to gather their trays and leave the cafeteria, another familiar face caught El’s eye. She recognized him from her English class, and this time when he caught El’s gaze, she did not look away. He and El maintained eye contact while he walked from his table toward the door of the cafeteria. From the boys’ table, Dustin noticed El staring intently at something, so he followed her gaze to the guy who he recognized as Brad Connor, a basketball player in their grade. Mike wondered what Dustin was looking at, so he turned to see Brad walking by their table, seeming to hold a strong gaze with something. Mike turned to follow Brad’s gaze and saw El standing at her table with Max, following Brad with her eyes, and Mike was certain he saw a hint of pink on her cheeks. As Brad exited the cafeteria, El turned to pick up her tray from the table, and she froze when she saw Mike with a look of disgust on his face shake his head and turn away from her.

“Do you know him?” Max asked excitedly. “He is hot!”

“Huh? Oh, uh, he’s in my English class,” El replied quickly. She watched as Mike and Will stood from their table, dumped their trash, and headed out of the cafeteria. Before Will left, he turned to El and shook his head, knowing El wanted to follow, but also knowing that she should not.

“You should talk to him. He’s clearly into you,” Max gushed.

“What?” El asked, snapping her head back to Max who was oblivious to everything other than the connection El had just had with Brad.

“The guy from your English class. I’m sure everyone in here felt that heat,” Max said.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” El muttered under her breath before addressing Max. “I’m not ready to talk to anyone right now.”

“El, you broke up with Mike so you could see other people,” Max reminded her. 

“Yeah, but not the next day,” El said.

“All right, fine,” Max relented. “But try getting out there soon. And try making it with that guy.” El sighed and left the table, Max following her out of the cafeteria.

For the last period of the day, El had study hall with Dustin. Ordinarily, the two of them would sit together, talking about their days and what they were doing as a group that evening. Today, El walked into the room and took her usual seat. She figured she would put the ball in Dustin’s court and see if he chose to still sit and talk with her. While she waited to see him enter the room, El pulled out her algebra textbook and opened it to the page her homework was assigned on. A few minutes later, someone sat across from her at the table, and El was relieved to look up and see Dustin’s face offering her a sympathetic smile.

“Hi Dustin,” she grinned. “I was hoping you’d still sit with me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Dustin asked, perplexed.

“I just thought…” El let her voice trail off and shrugged her shoulders, hoping Dustin would know what she thought and wouldn’t take offense to it.

“El, it’s been five years. You’re just as much my friend as Mike is,” Dustin assured her. El was thankful to hear that.

“Thanks,” she smiled.

“So, how are you doing?” Dustin asked sincerely.

“I’m okay,” El sighed. “It’s definitely a weird feeling. I know I said all of that stuff about spending time apart so we could see other people, and I still feel like that’s the right thing to do. But I still find myself thinking of Mike all the time, and even if I felt ready to meet someone else, I don’t know how I would even do that.”

“It’s going to take more than just one day for you to be ready to get to know someone else. I know the situations were different, but when Suzie and I broke up, it took me a couple weeks before I was interested in another girl,” Dustin explained. “Granted, Suzie and I barely saw each other and only dated for about seven months. For you, it might take weeks, it might take a couple months. You’ll know when you’re ready.”

“How is Mike doing today?” El asked, knowing Max would disapprove but also needing to know.

“He’s been better,” Dustin said slowly, knowing it wasn’t his place to give up much detail. “He got upset at lunch because he thinks there’s something between you and Brad Connor.”

“Who?” El furrowed her brow.

“The basketball player that you had that really sexual staring contest with at lunch,” Dustin reminded her.

“Dustin, I didn’t even know his name! He sits behind me in my English class, and I’ve never even spoken to him before,” El explained.

“Listen, all I know is what we all saw, and Mike was not happy about it,” Dustin shrugged as El groaned.

“Should I tell Mike there’s nothing going on?” she asked.

“If you want my honest opinion, no. You broke up with him to see other people. Now you just need to do whatever you need to do for yourself, and he needs to have his time and space to heal,” Dustin replied. El nodded her understanding. Dustin seemed to agree with Max that El should leave Mike alone, and El knew that they were right. It was just so hard for her.

“So, could you help me with this?” El changed the subject and gestured toward her algebra textbook. Dustin scooted his chair around, and for the remainder of the study hall they worked together on homework without mentioning Mike’s name again.

When the final bell rang, El and Dustin parted ways. El stopped at her locker to gather what she needed to take home for the night, and she walked her familiar path to the other end of the long hallway. She stopped when she reached Will’s locker so she could wait for him, but she still had a clear view of Mike’s from where she stood. El found herself glancing toward Mike’s locker every few seconds, hoping to catch of glimpse of him so she could see for herself how he was doing. Suddenly, El’s breath caught in her throat when she saw Mike approach his locker, walking with a girl that El had never seen before. She had auburn hair that reached the middle of her back, and she was wearing a big smile which showed off her perfectly straight white teeth. El thought the girl was really pretty, and she was standing with Mike at his locker, talking to him while he got whatever he needed. Will finally joined El at his locker, and El spoke before Will could greet her.

“Who is that girl with Mike?” she asked. Will glanced down the hallway.

“That’s his lab partner Lindsey,” he replied. El nodded, remembering that Mike had said he was going to the library with Lindsey after school today to work on their chemistry assignment. That conversation seemed like it had taken place years ago with everything that had changed in the past twenty-four hours. El watched as Mike closed his locker and walked side-by-side down the hall with Lindsey.

Mike and Lindsey were sitting next to each other at a table in the Hawkins public library with their chemistry books and lab notebooks spread open in front of them. Their assignment was to complete the lab report on the experiment they had done the previous day in class, and Mike knew he had promised Lindsey he would try to explain things better to her. The truth was, he had all the information he needed in his notebook to just hurry up and finish the lab report himself. He had considered offering to do that and just adding her name to it with his, but he knew if he had cancelled meeting with her at the library, all he would do was go home and dwell on his situation with El. He couldn’t believe she wanted them to see other people. Mike had thought they were both on the same page; that they both wanted the same future together. The idea that El could be with another guy and that he himself could be with another girl would have seemed preposterous to him. But Mike had seen the look on El’s face when she had locked eyes with Brad Connor in the cafeteria today. Mike had felt the heat from several tables away, and it had made him sick to his stomach. He couldn’t believe that El was ready to move on the very day after she had broken up with him. He also couldn’t believe that he had listened when El told him there was no other guy… Mike wasn’t stupid. He began tapping his pencil on the wooden table while he wondered how long El had been drawn to Brad before she had finally ended their relationship so she could go after Brad without guilt. 

“Mike?” Lindsey’s voice broke through Mike’s thoughts as she placed her hand over his hand to stop the tapping of the pencil. Mike looked over at his concerned lab partner before slipping the pencil out of his hand and pulling his arm off the table, away from her touch.

“Yeah?” he responded.

“Are you okay? You’ve barely said a word to me,” Lindsey said. She had noticed something was off with Mike today in their chemistry class, as Mike normally greeted her with a friendly smile and made several witty jokes throughout their class period. But today he had barely moved his eyes from his desk as he had sat slouched back against his chair with his arms crossed over his chest and the same dark frown on his face that he had now in the library. 

“I just have a lot on my mind right now,” Mike sighed. “I’m sorry. Let’s get back to the report.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Is there anything I can do to help?” Lindsey asked sincerely, inching closer toward him.

“No, it’s just some shit I’ll have to figure out on my own,” Mike shook his head and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table and pull his lab notebook closer to himself, wanting Lindsey to catch his hint that he was ready to just finish their assignment.

“Well if it’s the same shit you were trying to figure out in class, it doesn’t look like you’ve made much progress,” Lindsey quipped. Mike shifted his gaze to meet Lindsey’s, and she saw that he was not amused by her joke. “I just mean, sometimes it’s easier to figure things out if you don’t keep it all bottled up inside. Even if you don’t want advice, if you just want to talk, I’m a really good listener.” Mike stared long and hard at Lindsey’s face and felt his guard fall a bit at her sincerity.

“Wow, you must really hate chemistry if you’d rather hear about my problems,” he finally said with a small smirk, earning a chuckle from Lindsey as he closed his chemistry book, giving in to her.

“So what’s going on?” Lindsey asked.

“My girlfriend broke up with me last night,” Mike began. “We were together for almost five years, and she just ended it out of the blue.”

“Oh, Mike, I’m sorry,” Lindsey said gently, offering him a sympathetic look.

“Thanks,” Mike muttered awkwardly, unsure of how else to respond.

“May I ask why she broke up with you?” Lindsey continued. Mike sighed and looked up from the table to make eye contact with the girl sitting next to him.

“She said she wanted us each to be able to see other people. That one day one of us could regret only ever being with each other instead of seeing what’s out there,” he explained.

“I’m guessing you don’t agree with her,” Lindsey said, and Mike shrugged his shoulders.

“I had never thought like that, and I never thought she did either. I mean, I know it’s unusual for us to have been together for so long, being as young as we are. But, I guess I thought we were just lucky that we met when we did because not many people can say they’ve been with their soulmate since they were twelve years old,” Mike saw Lindsey’s lips stretch into a big smile, and his cheeks started to flush, embarrassed that he had just said something so personal. “I’m sorry, you probably think I’m so weird for saying that.”

“No, not at all,” Lindsey said quickly. “I actually think it’s really sweet. Not a lot of guys would be so open. The fact that you’re even thinking these things instead of trying to act all macho as if it doesn’t bother you really shows how much you care about her.”

“Well I don’t know if you’ve ever actually looked at me,” Mike jokingly gestured one hand up and down his torso and Lindsey followed with her eyes, “but being ‘macho’ is not exactly my strong suit. Unlike the jock she’s drooling over now.” Lindsey’s smile disappeared when she heard Mike’s tone change from humorous to bitter. 

“Did she tell you she already found someone new?” Lindsey asked gently.

“No, but she didn’t have to,” Mike replied. “I saw her today at lunch fawning over Brad Connor. And the look he was giving her pretty much told me the feeling was mutual.”

“He is such a tool,” Lindsey rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, well, I guess that’s what girls want, so it seems to be working for him,” Mike said sadly, sitting forward and laying his hands on the table.

“Not all girls are into that,” Lindsey corrected him.

“Well I never thought El was, but I guess she is now,” Mike shrugged.

“If she is willing to give up a nearly five-year relationship with someone who loves her as much as you clearly do, just so she can lust after someone as shallow as Brad Connor, then she doesn’t deserve you,” Lindsey said bluntly, taking Mike aback. “I think she’s going to regret doing this to you.”

“Why do you say that?” Mike asked.

“Because she’s clearly just drawn to that floppy hair and sharp jawline like every other girl who has ever had a thing for him. Once she realizes that his charm is only skin-deep, she’s going to realize how great she had it with you. She’ll remember how sweet and kind and funny you are, and she’ll remember how you treated her because I’m sure you treated her like a queen,” Lindsey said. She reached forward and took one of Mike’s hands; this time he did not pull it away. “I promise you she’s going to realize what she lost,” Lindsey added softly. Mike looked into her brown eyes and offered her a small smile. He was confused and, frankly, a little scared by how comfortable he felt speaking with Lindsey like this. Mike abruptly sat straight up in his chair and pulled his hand back.

“We, uh,” he cleared his throat. “We really need to get this done tonight.” Mike opened his chemistry book again and watched out of the corner of his eye as Lindsey studied his face a little longer before turning back to the table and pulling her notebook closer to herself.

Within two hours, Mike and Lindsey had finished their lab report, and Mike offered to give Lindsey a ride home instead of having her call her brother, who she had to share a car with, to come pick her up. On the ride to Lindsey’s house, neither of them spoke anymore about El or the breakup. The next morning when Lindsey stopped by Mike’s locker to tell him good morning, Mike introduced her to Lucas who had also been there. When Lindsey offered Mike a friendly smile and wave in the cafeteria as she walked past with one of her friends, Mike didn’t even notice that a few tables back, Brad Connor was sitting down between El and Max to formally introduce himself to Mike’s ex-girlfriend. And when Lucas teasingly nudged his elbow into Mike’s ribs and suggested that Lindsey was clearly into him, Mike denied it. Within the next week, Mike would learn how wrong he was.


	4. Chapter 4

Throughout the week, Mike found it more and more difficult to disagree with Lucas’s assumption that Lindsey had feelings for him. She stopped by his locker every morning to talk for a few minutes before school started, and she stopped at the boys’ table every afternoon at lunch for a few minutes as well. In chemistry, she had begun touching his forearm when speaking to him, and she walked with him after class until the hallway split and they had to go their separate ways to their own lockers. For a while, Mike was able to excuse most of this as a friendship, especially since he had opened up to Lindsey. Certainly, she was just making sure he was doing okay. But one day, about a week after Mike had told Lindsey about he and El’s breakup, she made a move that Mike couldn’t pretend was platonic.

“Homecoming is coming up,” Lindsey said one day after class as she and Mike walked down the hallway from the chemistry room. She gestured toward the homecoming flier posted on the wall, and Mike followed her gaze then looked down at the floor.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” he observed, having not thought of homecoming at all since El broke up with him. 

“What are your plans for homecoming?” Lindsey asked innocently, turning the corner to her locker as Mike continued to walk along with her.

“I don’t know. I guess I don’t really have any,” Mike shrugged. He certainly had not imagined going to his senior homecoming without El by his side.

“I don’t have any plans yet either,” Lindsey continued. Mike turned to face down the hallway, missing the expectant expression that Lindsey was giving him.

“Really? I thought you would be going to the dance for sure,” he said. 

“I don’t have anyone to go with,” Lindsey shrugged and intensified her gaze, hoping Mike would meet her eyes. When he did, Lindsey took a step closer to him before continuing. “Hopefully that changes though. I would love to have a date to the dance.” Mike felt chills throughout his body as he tried to hide his internal panic. Was Lindsey hinting for him to ask her to the dance? Ever since the Snow Ball during his eighth grade year, El had been his only date to school dances. 

“Y-yeah, I’m sure you’ll find one, Linds,” Mike stammered awkwardly. “Good luck.” He turned to walk to his own locker, leaving Lindsey standing stunned behind him, and inwardly kicking himself at his own awkwardness.

“She asked you to homecoming?! Isn’t the guy supposed to do that?” Dustin asked that evening as he, Mike, Lucas, and Will were gathered in Lucas’s basement playing Nintendo.

“She didn’t ask me to homecoming,” Mike corrected him.

“No, but she made it very obvious that she wanted you to ask her,” Lucas said.

“Is there any way she meant to offer to go as friends? People go to homecoming in groups all the time,” Will offered logically.

“No, I don’t think that’s how she meant it,” Mike replied, shaking his head and remembering Lindsey’s soft brown eyes staring expectantly at him. “She literally asked me what my homecoming plans were, and when I told her I didn’t know, she told me that she didn’t know her plans yet either but that she would love to have a date to the dance.”

“So?” Will shrugged.

“So, then she was just looking at me with these big puppy dog eyes like she was waiting for me to say what she wanted me to say,” Mike said.

“And what did you say, exactly?” Lucas asked, since Dustin had interrupted Mike’s story before he could finish it.

“I don’t know, nothing really,” Mike mumbled, trying to brush off the question.

“What do you mean nothing? This girl says to you ‘Mike, I don’t know what I’m doing for homecoming yet, but I would sure love to have a date to the dance,’ and you just walk away? I don’t believe that for a second,” Lucas said, shaking his head.

“I mean, I didn’t exactly say nothing,” Mike said sheepishly. “I think I told her good luck or something lame like that.”

“Good luck?!” Dustin repeated.

“What was I supposed to say?” Mike asked, exasperated.

“Um, how about ‘Would you like to go to the dance with me?’” Lucas replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

“But then she would’ve thought we had a date,” Mike said.

“And what would be so bad about that?” Lucas asked. Mike sighed and rested his head in his hands. It had been over a week since El had broken up with him, and he had not spoken to her once. 

“I just… I don’t even think I’m going to homecoming this year,” Mike said finally.

“Come on, it’s our senior year. We’ve got to all go together,” Lucas encouraged him. “Plus, it’s been over a week now, and I know that’s still pretty early, but you do seem to be doing better.”

“I am,” Mike admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to start dating another girl. I don’t know when or if that’ll ever happen.”

“You don’t need to date anyone. But if you see a cute girl and she happens to be into you, there’s no harm in talking to her. And Lindsey happens to be a cute girl who is into you,” Lucas pointed out. “Come to think of it, Lindsey may be the perfect girl for you to be talking to right now.”

“How do you figure?” Mike asked, furrowing his brow at his friend.

“Think about it. She knows you just got out of a long relationship, so she won’t be expecting much right off the bat. She already knows you’re in a sensitive, vulnerable position right now. You could tell her that you want to take things slow and not jump into anything, and from what I know about Lindsey so far, she seems like she would be easy to have that conversation with,” Lucas explained.

“She really would be,” Mike sighed. He hated how correct Lucas was about this. Lindsey made him feel comfortable when they talked, and Mike knew he could be honest with her about what to expect and what not to expect.

“And who knows. You might start spending time with her and realize you’re ready to move on quicker than you think,” Lucas shrugged. “You’ll really never know how you feel about it until you give it a shot. Move at whatever speed feels right to you, and make sure Lindsey’s cool with it.”

“I guess that’s true. There’s no rule that says how long I have to wait after a breakup before at least hanging out with another girl,” Mike said slowly.

“And also, if you don’t go to homecoming at all, you’re going to sit at home all night thinking about last year’s homecoming with El, and you’ll be wondering what she looks like and who she’s there with. If you’re there with Lindsey and all of us, your mind won’t be anywhere near all of that,” Lucas concluded. 

“Talking to Lindsey really has been helping me a lot,” Mike admitted. “I guess I could maybe talk to her about homecoming. But other than when we see each other at school, the only time we’ve ever spent together outside of school was last week when we went to the library to do our chemistry homework.”

“That’s a good point,” Dustin muttered. “Why don’t you invite her to come along with us next weekend when we all go to FearFest? We’ll all be there, so it won’t be like a date. Plus you and Lindsey will get to see what it’s like to hang out with each other outside of school.” Lucas and Will nodded along with Dustin’s idea.

“I guess I could do that,” Mike relented. The truth was that he felt guilty at the idea of getting too close to another girl, but he could see his friends made some good points. This didn’t mean he was dating anyone; it was just getting him out of the house and out of school and having fun again. 

“You’re not doing anything wrong by doing this,” Lucas said as if he had read Mike’s mind. “I know you’re not completely over her, but you are single now. It wouldn’t be fair for you to just sit around waiting for her to figure her shit out. You need to get out there and do what’s best for you too, and whether that eventually brings you back to El or to Lindsey or to anyone else, I’ll support you entirely.” Dustin and Will echoed Lucas’s sentiments, and Mike offered an appreciative smile. He knew they were right. 

Just then, the doorbell rang upstairs, and they heard the muffled sound of Mrs. Sinclair opening and closing the door and directing someone to the basement. At the unmistakable sound of Max’s voice, Mike stood in preparation to go home.

“All right, well thanks for the advice. I’ll let you know how it goes,” Mike said to his friends as Max descended from the stairs behind him. “See you guys tomorrow.” Mike turned to head toward the stairs, and Max shifted to her right to allow him to pass her.

“You don’t have to leave just because I’m here,” Max said when Mike was already on the second stair. He stopped as if he were about to say something to her, but he decided against it and hurried up the rest of the stairs.

“What are you guys up to tonight?” Max asked as she took a seat on the couch.

“Not a lot,” Lucas replied, gesturing toward the Nintendo. “We were just talking about FearFest next weekend.”

“Mike is cool with me going, right? It seems like he still hates me,” Max pointed out.

“I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow, and I really think he’ll understand,” Lucas assured her. “Plus, he’s going to ask a girl from his chemistry class to come along too.”

“He’s what?!” Max exclaimed, her eyes widening. “Does he like this girl? Is he dating her?”

“He’s not dating anyone,” Lucas replied calmly. “And he definitely likes her as a friend and is curious enough to want to get to know her better. What does it matter?”

“It doesn’t to me,” Max shrugged. “Are you encouraging this?”

“If you can encourage your best friend to do what you think is best for her, then I can encourage my best friend to do what I think is best for him,” Lucas retorted, shutting Max up. “Besides, you know Mike. I think he’s going to take it slow. But it’ll be good for him to at least get out there and talk to another girl while El is doing whatever the hell she’s doing with Brad.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked, scrunching her face in confusion.

“We all saw that look between El and Brad the day after she broke up with Mike,” Lucas said. “And I’ve seen the two of them walking in the hall together a few times.”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Max scoffed. “El barely even knows the guy. When they locked eyes in the cafeteria that day, she literally didn’t even know his name. He didn’t introduce himself to her until another day when he sat down toward the end of lunch, and even then he basically just said hi and that his name is Brad.”

“Seriously? What about everything else?” Lucas asked.

“Everything else? You mean the fact that you’ve seen them in the hallway a few times? I didn’t realize walking down the hall with a guy meant you were sucking his dick,” Max spat defensively. 

“Oh stop acting so mad. You know damn well you would encourage El to go out with Brad in a heartbeat, and I’m not convinced that you aren’t trying to get her to do just that,” Lucas accused his girlfriend, and the look on Max’s face told Lucas that he was right. “It’s only fair for both of them to try move on, as much as the whole thing sucks.” 

“I guess that’s true,” Max said slowly after a moment. “I can’t expect Mike not to try and see what’s out there after I told El how important it was to do that.” When they had reached that agreement, their attention turned toward the Nintendo, and the topic of Mike and El was not brought up again the rest of the evening.

The next couple of days at school, Lindsey acted normally toward Mike. She did not mention homecoming again and did not bring up their awkward interaction in the hall. Mike was happy about that and took it as a sign that Lindsey understood why he reacted the way he did and that she wasn’t upset with him. Friday after class, the two of them were walking toward Lindsey’s locker, and Mike knew that this was the day he was going to ask her to join him and his friends the following weekend. He had been rehearsing in his head all day what he wanted to say to her. Mike wanted to make sure that Lindsey knew he wanted her to go, but he didn’t want her thinking it was a date. So the phrasing had to be just right. 

“I am so not ready for that quiz on Wednesday,” Lindsey was saying as she opened her locker.

“Oh, yeah, me neither,” Mike said absentmindedly. Lindsey shot him a confused look.

“Well then whose paper am I supposed to look at?” she joked. Mike didn’t react to her joke, but Lindsey noticed the nervous look on his face and turned to face him in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Mike replied quickly. “I just – I mean, we – uh, my friends and I… Dustin, Lucas, and Lucas’s girlfriend Max, we’re going to FearFest next week on Saturday, and I… well I guess we… were wondering if you wanted to come.” Mike tried to hide the disappointment from his face and he scolded himself in his mind for stammering so much. He saw Lindsey’s smile grow, not knowing it was out of amusement at how pink his cheeks were turning.

“I would love to,” Lindsey smiled. Mike released a sigh of relief, feeling proud of himself, even though he knew this wasn’t a date.

“Great. So we can just pick you up next Saturday at seven,” he said. Lindsey nodded her agreement, and shortly after, Mike parted ways with her for the weekend.

The following Saturday Mike, Lindsey, Lucas, Max, and Dustin pulled in to FearFest. Will had opted to stay at home, as he was not interested in voluntarily being scared after his experiences in the Upside Down. Lucas had driven the five of them with Max sitting in the front seat and Mike in the middle of Dustin and Lindsey in the back seat. Mike and Max had barely spoken to each other at all; the only reason Mike had not objected to Max coming was because of how accommodating Lucas had been in the couple weeks since El had ended things. Mike had not wanted to see Max, and Lucas had not put him in the situation where he would have to. Mike understood that Lucas really wanted Max to come along to FearFest tonight, so Mike had told himself that he would have a good time with his friends and focus on getting to know Lindsey better.

“What do we want to do first?” Lucas asked, looking at his ticket. There were three events: a standard haunted house, a cornfield, and a warehouse maze. 

“I say we save the cornfield for last. It’s the scariest,” Dustin suggested.

“You guys have been here before?” Lindsey asked.

“Lucas and I have. Mike never came when he was with El,” Dustin replied.

“El didn’t exactly like places like this,” Mike explained lamely, not wanting to disclose to Lindsey the specifics of El’s life that made places like FearFest a bad idea. Lindsey nodded her understanding and glanced down at the ticket in her hand that Mike had bought for her.

“Let’s start with the haunted house then,” Lindsey recommended. The group started walking in the direction of the line for the house. 

The estimated wait time that was posted was thirty minutes, so the five of them got some hot chocolate from the concession stand and settled in for the wait in the brisk early October air. Mike looked at the line ahead of them. It was full of friend groups goofing off to pass the time, and of course many clingy couples. Guys with their arms wrapped around their girls, pulling them closer either because of the cooler weather or to protect them from getting scared. He took a sip of his hot chocolate and turned to see Lucas standing behind Max with his arms around her waist from behind, holding her close to him.

“I’m telling you, the props and decoration in here are sick,” Dustin was saying excitedly. “The haunted house is a great place to start. There are some jump scares, but it really prepares you for the other two attractions. The cornfield is fucking insane.”

“The cornfield is the only one I’m actually nervous about,” Max said. “I might need someone to keep me safe.” She pulled Lucas’s arms even tighter around herself, and Lucas dipped his head down to kiss her neck. Max started to giggle, and Mike turned away from them to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He hadn’t expected Lucas to stay upset with Max forever, but Mike had felt appreciative when Lucas had taken his side over Max’s regarding the breakup. Lucas’s frustration with Max had subsided only about three days after El had dumped Mike, and Mike didn’t want to think about what Max may have done to get back on Lucas’s good side so quickly.

“They’re so cute,” Lindsey said, glancing toward Lucas and Max. Mike chuckled and shook his head.

“Yeah. Cute,” he smirked.

“How long have they been together?” Lindsey asked.

“Off and on for about four years,” Mike replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “She’s actually El’s best friend.”

“Oh,” Lindsey said quietly. She had noticed that Mike and Max weren’t really speaking, and she had sensed some tension when they looked at one another, but she hadn’t asked anything, as it wasn’t her place. But now, Lindsey realized it made sense. Of course Mike would be uncomfortable hanging out with his ex-girlfriend’s best friend. Lindsey had no idea that one of Mike’s best friends was dating El’s best friend. “I’m sorry, this must be pretty awkward for you.”

“If you only knew the half of it,” Mike muttered, not wanting to explain to Lindsey the direct role Max had played in his and El’s breakup. “But it’s fine. We’re here to have fun. And I’m really glad you came, by the way.”

“I’m glad I came too,” Lindsey said, offering him a sweet smile. Mike felt his own lips pull into a smile at the sight of her big brown eyes beaming up at him. He felt his cheeks start to blush, and he turned his head away from her. Mike looked behind them to see Lucas and Max still in their own little world and Dustin behind them talking to a couple guys in line about the effects in the warehouse maze. Mike turned his attention back to Lindsey, and the two of them passed the time getting to know each other better. He found himself easily telling her things about his family, his hobbies, his favorite books and movies, and he found himself interested in hers as well. Mike could not remember the last time he had a conversation flow so smoothly with another girl, and he didn’t even notice a half hour had passed by the time their group was next in line.

“Stay together; keep moving; no running; don’t touch the monsters, the monsters won’t touch you,” the employee at the front of the line recited emotionlessly. After another moment, he allowed the group of five to enter the attraction.

Through the doorway, the path they had to follow was only wide enough for one person, so they were forced to walk single-file. Lindsey ended up in front of Mike, followed by Dustin, and bringing up the rear was Max with Lucas still attached around her waist from behind. As they made their way around the curves the path led them through, Mike saw that Dustin wasn’t lying about how intricate the props and decorations were. The first room was set as an actual living room, but the furniture was ripped apart and stained with blood. Blood streaks covered the walls, the television screen had a gaping hole in it that smoke was rising from, and there were two bodies laying on the floor which Mike couldn’t tell if they were real people or props. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!” shouted a sudden gruff voice as the door to their right swung open, and before them stood a deranged man with scraggly hair, ripped blood-stained clothes, and holding a large butcher knife. 

“Holy shit,” Mike breathed as Lindsey jumped and screamed in front of him. 

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE,” the man growled, waving the knife. Mike noticed that Lindsey had seen the path was forcing them to walk right past this man and into through the door that he was still holding open, so she had stopped moving.

“It’s okay. He can’t touch you,” Mike leaned forward and whispered to Lindsey. 

“Let’s go, little lady. The only way out is right through here,” the man growled. Lindsey took a deep breath and started moving forward again slowly, the others following. As she passed the man holding the door open, he tauntingly wiggled the knife closer to Lindsey’s face and sneered as she whimpered in fear. 

Through the doorway, they found themselves in the kitchen of the house. It was dimly lit, and its walls were also covered in blood. The refrigerator door stood open, and it was filled with jars that held body parts in brownish liquid. As they walked further into the kitchen, another man, this one wearing a chef’s uniform that was ripped up and stained in blood, abruptly slid out from under the counter and hollered a loud “GOTCHA” while grasping toward Lindsey’s ankles, intentionally not making contact with her. Lindsey screamed even louder, and in one swift motion she jumped backward into the air, spun around and buried her face in the chest of Mike’s sweater. Mike’s eyes widened in shock, and he slowly moved both his hand up to Lindsey’s arms and gave them a light squeeze.

“You go first,” she insisted and grabbed ahold of Mike’s jacket to turn them so that he was ahead of her. 

Mike led them down the path that continued through the house, up the stairs to the second level of the house, and through each room. Each room had its own set of monsters that jumped out to scare them, and some even followed them in the hallways. Being that he was in the lead now, Mike fell victim to several of the jump scares, and each time he jumped, he felt Lindsey tighten her grasp on his sweater. She was walking behind him, her arms wrapped around to his front and her body pressed against his back so she could hide her face in his jacket when she needed to. Mike’s stomach was doing flips throughout the entire attraction, and he knew it was more from the way Lindsey was touching him than it was from the monsters.

“Didn’t I tell you?! It was sick,” Dustin said gleefully when the five of them made it to the exit and found themselves back outside in the chilled night air.

“It was pretty scary, wasn’t it Lindsey?” Max asked, watching as Lindsey released her hold on Mike once they were a safe distance away from the building. Mike shot Max a warning glance, knowing that Lindsey’s actions inside had not gone unnoticed by his friends, but hoping Max had the decency to keep her comments to herself this time.

“Yeah it was. I don’t know how I’ll be able to get through the cornfield if it’s the scariest,” Lindsey replied.

“Something tells me you’ll be safe,” Lucas smirked, moving his eyes back and forth between Mike and Lindsey and chuckling to himself as they both started to blush.

The next stop was the warehouse maze. After a forty-five minute wait, which was filled with the rest of the group getting to know Lindsey better this time, the five of them entered the attraction. It was wildly different from the previous haunted house. There was no telling how many fog machines were being used, but the entire building was filled with extremely thick fog, making it impossible to see more than a couple inches ahead. Heavy metal music blasted through the speakers, so no one could hear each other in the fog, and the excessive strobe lights made seeing each other difficult as well. Mike reached out in front of himself and his hand touched a chain-link fence.

“It’s a maze!” Dustin shouted, barely audible over the heavy metal that was blaring. He made a gesture with his hand to encourage Mike to go to the left, so Mike started walking, keeping one hand on the fence next to him. 

Without being able to see more than a couple inches ahead, it wasn’t long before the monsters started appearing before them and scaring the girls in particular. Max’s face was buried in Lucas’s shoulder, and she clung to his jacket with her eyes closed as one of the monsters inched his face closer and closer to hers. When someone jumped out in front of Lindsey, she jumped and screamed and reached out in front of herself for Mike, grasping his hand in hers. A moment later, Lindsey moved to pull her hand back, but Mike squeezed it, not letting her pull away.

“This way,” Mike hollered, pointing in a direction that no one could see. He must have noticed they were in a dead end. 

For another fifteen minutes, the five of them stumbled around the warehouse, trying to find the end of the maze. Max kept her face buried in Lucas’s shoulder to avoid being scared by any of the monsters, and Lindsey kept a tight hold on Mike’s hand as he led her through the maze. Dustin had joined Mike up front, and the two of them were focusing on the strategy of keeping one hand on the fence the whole time until it eventually leads to an exit. When they found the exit door and stepped back into the outdoors, Dustin nearly jumped for joy at their success.

“That was so much better than last year!” he exclaimed.

“I can barely hear you. My ears are ringing so bad from that place,” Max complained, pulling on her earlobes.

“I thought you said the cornfield was the only one you were nervous about,” Lucas teased his girlfriend. Max laughed and swatted his arm in return.

“Are you guys ready for the cornfield?!” Dustin asked excitedly, already heading in that direction. Lindsey and Max both had looks of hesitation on their faces, and Lucas met Max’s with a look of amusement.

“You’ll be fine,” Lucas laughed, putting an arm around Max’s shoulders. Mike, who was still holding Lindsey’s hand, gave it a reassuring squeeze as they followed Dustin toward the final attraction of the night.

They reached the line for the cornfield, which boasted an hour wait. They entered the queue and instantly heard the air filled with the sound of chainsaws and screams coming from within the corn. Mike felt Lindsey jump, startled, next to him, and when he looked over at her he saw that she was also shivering. 

“Are you cold?” he asked, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of Lindsey’s hand, her fingers feeling like icicles intertwined with his.

“A bit. I’ll be all right,” Lindsey replied with a shrug. She felt Mike let go of her hand, and a moment later he draped his jacket over her sweater-clad shoulders. “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she protested.

“Don’t worry about it. I like the cold anyway,” Mike insisted. Lindsey offered a gracious smile and slipped her arms through the sleeves of Mike’s jacket. She let her hand dangle between herself and Mike, and after a moment she felt her pinky brush against his warm skin. Lindsey felt Mike’s pinky tentatively wrap around her own, and a moment later, their fingers were intertwined again as they stood in the line holding hands.

When it was their turn, the five of them started into the cornfield. Dustin was the most excited, and he led them, followed by Max who had her arm wrapped tightly around Lucas’s and was prepared to bury her face in his shoulder whenever needed, and lastly by Mike and Lindsey who hung back to experience being in the back of the group. The corn was taller than all of them, and the sounds of chainsaws and screaming in the distance continued every couple of minutes. It was well into the night now, and if it weren’t for the light from the moon and stars in the sky and the lights on the ground every few feet to illuminate the path, the cornfield would be pitch dark. The five of them stayed as close together as possible to avoid losing track of one another.

The cornfield donned demented-looking scarecrows, and Lindsey jumped when she saw one of the scarecrows emerge from the side of the path and stand next to Max who was looking the other way. Max felt someone’s hot breath on her neck and turned to see the scarecrow inches from her face. She screamed and jumped to Lucas’s other side to separate herself from the scarecrow, while Mike smirked and felt a pang of satisfaction at seeing her scared. They continued through the field, being startled by monsters who jumped from the corn, some of which even followed the group for a short amount of time, taunting them. After a while, the path in the corn opened up to a small clearing that was arranged as a cemetery. The cemetery was illuminated better, and the group was able to space themselves a bit. Suddenly, the roar of a chainsaw filled the air and a man dressed as Leatherface stepped out from behind a headstone wielding a chainsaw. All five of them jumped backward, alarmed, and Max dropped Lucas’s arm and began running to the other side of the cemetery.

“Max, come back!” Lucas hollered. When Max looked over her shoulder at her friends, another man dressed in overalls and covered in fake blood emerged from the corn with a chainsaw and stood in front of Max. He started his chainsaw, and Max screamed and ran back to Lucas.

“Come on,” Dustin urged, waving his friends to follow him through the cemetery to the other side where they could see the path continuing through the cornfield. As they walked rapidly through the cemetery, the two men with chainsaws continued to taunt them, revving their chainsaws and getting so close to the girls’ faces that they could feel and smell the hot breath. Mike instinctively put his arm around Lindsey’s shoulders and pulled her close to himself, and she wrapped her arms around his waist until they were through the cemetery.

“You okay?” Mike asked quietly as they stood at the edge of the path surrounded by corn. Lindsey let her arms drop from around him and nodded.

“Yeah, as long as there are no more chainsaws,” she said. Mike chuckled and took Lindsey’s hand again before continuing behind Lucas. 

There were no more chainsaws, and they made it through the rest of the cornfield’s turns and jump scares. Max let out a sigh of relief when they reached the exit of the cornfield, and Dustin was practically glowing from how much he had enjoyed himself. They piled back into Lucas’s car, Max in the front passenger seat again, and Mike between Lindsey and Dustin in the back seat, as Lucas drove to drop Lindsey off first. Dustin rambled about how FearFest gets better every year and was comparing the effects of this year to last year. Mike had tuned Dustin out and was absentmindedly drawing circles with his thumb on the back of Lindsey’s hand.

“Thanks for the ride. It was fun!” Lindsey said when Lucas brought his car to a stop on the street outside of her house. She opened the car door and began to step out. Out of the corner of his eye, Mike caught Lucas looking at him from the driver’s seat. When Mike turned to face him, Lucas widened his eyes and mouthed the words “go with her.”

“Hold on, I’ll walk you up,” Mike said suddenly, placing his hand on the door so Lindsey couldn’t close it. He stood next to her on the street and closed the car door, and Mike and Lindsey walked side-by-side up her driveway to her front porch.

“I’m really glad you came tonight. I hope you had a good time,” Mike said as they reached the porch steps.

“I really did. I liked getting to actually spend time with you outside of school,” Lindsey replied. “Did you have fun?”

“Oh, yeah! It was tons of fun,” Mike said. He looked over his shoulder and felt his friends’ eyes on himself and Lindsey, and he started to feel his palms sweat.

“That’s great. You really deserve to have a good time after everything you’ve been through lately,” Lindsey said gently, and as she looked up at him, the light from the porch light illuminated the small number of freckles on the bridge of her nose.

“Well you’ve been helping a lot with that, too,” Mike said shyly, looking down.

“I have?” Lindsey asked, genuinely surprised.

“Of course. You’re really cool and easy to talk to,” Mike shrugged. “In fact, there’s, uh, something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?” Lindsey asked, taking a step closer to him. Mike took a deep breath and let it out and lifted his gaze to meet her brown eyes.

“Well, you know, homecoming is in a couple weeks. And I wanted to know if you wanted to maybe go with me,” Mike said much more confidently than he felt. He felt nearly nauseous as he stood waiting for Lindsey’s answer. He had not felt so nervous about a school dance since the first time he brought the topic up to El about the Snow Ball several years prior. 

“I would love to,” Lindsey replied with a warm smile. Mike released the breath he had been holding in a long sigh of relief and couldn’t hold back his own grin as Lindsey took a step even closer, still looking straight into his eyes. Mike felt the butterflies begin to flutter in his stomach as his face began to inch closer to Lindsey’s. Just as he felt the breath from her lips on his, Mike remembered that his friends were watching, and he instantly turned his head toward the front door of Lindsey’s house.

“Okay,” he said and cleared his throat. “Great. So, I’ll, uh, see you at school then.”

“Yeah, see you at school,” Lindsey repeated, and Mike could detect a small amount of disappointment in her voice. “Thanks again for such a great night.” Mike offered her another smile before telling her good night and walking back to Lucas’s car, feeling happy with himself for giving it a chance with someone new. Maybe he would be able to move on after all.


	5. Chapter 5

In the weeks between El breaking up with Mike and Mike asking Lindsey to homecoming, El was working through her own obstacles of adjusting to being single. She really hadn’t known what to expect, but Abby and Max had sounded so optimistic that El was confused by how much she was struggling. She still hated how badly she had hurt Mike, and she often found herself thinking of him, wondering how he was doing, and wishing she could just talk to him, but everyone told her not to. Max had told her that it would be difficult at first adjusting to not spending time with Mike, but that it would get easier as the days passed, and that sooner or later El would meet someone new. El had not expected to feel attracted to another guy as quickly as she did. When she had first seen Brad in her English class, El was shocked by her own urges. She had known there was a guy who sat behind her in class, but El had never really taken the time to pay him, or any other guy, any attention. That day when she heard him cracking jokes behind her and complaining about reading Shakespeare had been the first day El had really looked at anyone other than Mike. She didn’t actually like this guy… she didn’t even know him. She just knew he was attractive, and for the first time in five years, she acknowledged that attraction.

After her talk with Dustin in their study hall the day that Mike had gotten upset at lunch, El had decided that she was not going to pursue anything with Brad. She could not deny that he was attractive, and even though she had broken up with Mike, she still cared about him and did not want Mike thinking anything had been going on between her and Brad. Max remained persistent, trying to persuade El to get to know Brad.

“You have class together every day. It would be your perfect shot,” Max would gush despite El’s objections. 

Max’s encouragement skyrocketed after Brad had joined El and Max’s lunch table toward the end of their lunch period the day after they had made their first unspoken connection. El had just forced herself to finish her sandwich, still not overly interested in eating, and she had heard Max gasp. When El looked at her best friend, Max was gesturing her wide eyes to El’s right. As El turned, Brad placed his hand on the back of an empty chair at their table.

“Is this seat taken?” he had asked. El had shaken her head and waved her hand toward it, offering it to him.

“You’re in my English class,” he had stated matter-of-factly, to which El nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever caught your name.”

“My name is El,” she responded with a polite smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, El. I’m Brad,” Brad flashed a smile and extended his hand. El tentatively took his hand in hers and swallowed when his large hand encompassed her smaller one in a firm handshake.

“Forgive me, but are you new here? I would think I would’ve noticed you around a while ago,” Brad asked after releasing El’s hand.

“I was new last year, but this is my second year here,” El explained. 

“Huh. Not sure how I missed you,” Brad said, and El did not miss how his eyes flicked up and down her body rapidly. “I know you said you’ve been here a year, but if you want someone to show you around, I’m your guy. I know a lot of places I’m sure you’ve never been.” 

“I’m, uh, actually not new to Hawkins, just to the school. I’ve spent a lot of time in the town,” El explained, starting to feel uncomfortable with the way Brad’s eyes were burning into her.

“Well, my offer still stands. There’s always a hidden gem in every small town, and I’m sure you haven’t seen it all,” Brad continued.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” El smiled politely. The bell rang signifying that their afternoon classes would be starting soon.

“You do that,” Brad said. “I’ll see you in English tomorrow.” He stood from the table, and Max and El watched as he walked away.

“Okay, he is obviously into you,” Max said once Brad had walked out the cafeteria door.

“He doesn’t know me, and he was staring at me pretty intensely,” El said, standing from the table and gathering her tray. “Plus, I don’t need shown around. I know Hawkins.”

“He was flirting with you, El,” Max said amused. “He’s not trying to take you on a tour of the city or anything. That was his way of trying to get you to agree to go out with him some time.”

“Really?” El asked, furrowing her brow as she dumped her garbage in the trash can.

“Yes, really. It’s called game, and guys like Brad have it,” Max said, tossing her tray on top of the trash can and walking into the hall with El.

“I don’t know. Obviously, he’s attractive, and I know I’m supposed to get to know other guys, but isn’t it too early?” El asked. Max looked at her friend and saw that El’s eyes were pleading for Max to try and empathize with how she was feeling.

“Do you feel like it’s too early?” Max asked slowly.

“It’s only been a couple of days. I was with Mike for so long,” El said. She was silent as she tried to think of words to describe the internal conflict she was feeling. She missed Mike so much, and part of her wanted to go back in time a few days and stop herself from breaking up with him. On the other hand, she knew that Max and Abby’s advice would keep ringing in her ears until she explored what they had told her about. But El didn’t know how to explore other options or when she should even try to start.

“Listen,” Max said gently, noticing the mental turmoil El was putting herself through. “I don’t want you to think that I am trying to rush you into anything. Just know that I’m proud of you for taking a risk like this and even considering exploring your options. Take your time, and make sure you’re comfortable before putting yourself in any position with another guy.”

“Really?” El was genuinely surprised by this change in Max’s demeanor. In the days since El had broken up with Mike, Max had been nothing but encouraging of the idea of El getting out there immediately. It had seemed like Max wanted to allow no time for El to heal from the breakup.

“Really. When Lucas and I break up, it usually helps me to go out with a guy pretty quickly because then I am not wallowing on mine and Lucas’s problems and letting Lucas consume my mind. But you are different from me, and this is new to you. If you need to take it slower, by all means, take it slower,” Max explained sincerely.

“Wow. Thanks, Max,” El smiled.

“Of course. Just, you know, don’t take it too slowly. You never want your ex to move on to someone new before you do,” Max laughed.

“Do you think Mike would do that?” El asked, the concern spreading rapidly over her face.

“I mean, theoretically he could because he is single now too. But I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you. Come on, who is Mike going to go out with?” Max replied, trying to lighten the mood after unintentionally instilling worry in El. She thought it best not to relay to El that she had also brought up the idea to Mike of seeing other girls the night he came over to Lucas’s house and yelled at her after the breakup. It’s not like that was something he was going to actually do.

Over the rest of the week, El sat in her English class daily and felt Brad’s eyes on the back of her head. There were a couple of days when he walked with her to her locker, asking if she had given his offer any more thought. El smiled politely on each occasion and told him she was not interested at this time. One particular day, El was walking down the hallway with Brad slightly behind her on her left, and Brad was telling her that if she didn’t want to go out in town with him, she should at least come see one of his basketball games. El was hearing Brad’s words, but she caught Lucas’s familiar eyes through the crowded hallway, and her stomach sank at the hint of disapproval that she detected. 

“So what do you think?” Brad asked.

“Huh?” El turned to look up at him apologetically.

“Would you want to come see one of my games? Maybe next weekend?” Brad offered. El arranged her books in her locker while trying to think of what to say. She had never been to a basketball game before, and she could take Max with her. But at the same time, she still had some reservations about agreeing to do anything with someone new just yet.

“Hey, El,” Dustin said with a friendly smile as he and Lucas walked past El and Brad. Both El and Brad’s heads turned quickly toward the chipper voice, and El quickly smiled and raised her hand to wave as the two boys continued down the hall. El could have sworn she still detected disapproval in Lucas’s gaze.

“You know them?” Brad asked, scrunching his brow.

“Yeah. That’s Lucas and Dustin. They’re my friends,” El explained.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing hanging out with those nerds?” Brad asked, leaning against the lockers and raising his eyebrows. El would have liked the compliment of being called pretty, but she felt defensive for her friends that Brad had just insulted.

“They’re nice guys. And they’re my boy – er – my ex-boyfriend’s friends,” El said, the ‘ex’ feeling so foreign on her tongue.

“You dated Zombie Boy?” Brad asked incredulously.

“His name is Will,” El corrected him coldly. “And no, not him.”

“So then the Wheeler kid,” Brad deduced. “Matt? Mitch?”

“Mike,” El said firmly. She shifted her books impatiently in her arm as she waited for this conversation to end.

“Mike, that’s right. Well, congratulations on getting out of that one,” Brad scoffed.

“Are we done here?” El asked, noticeably annoyed.

“Oh, come on, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just meant that now you have the chance to see how a real man treats a lady,” Brad said, the corners of his lips curling into a grin as he winked.

“I’m leaving,” El said, disgusted. This is how guys talk to girls? This is what Max and Abby wanted her to experience? El turned to walk away from Brad when he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him.

“El, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay?” Brad said, and El thought he sounded sincere. “I won’t say anything more about him. I do think you’re really pretty though. What do you say about coming to one of my games?” Brad was looking at her with puppy dog eyes, and El couldn’t help but swoon, even though she was still not okay with what he had said about Mike and her friends. Then again, maybe he had just been trying to crack a joke to make El feel better. After all, she had called Mike her ex-boyfriend. A lot of girls enjoy talking badly about their exes. How was Brad supposed to know El wasn’t one of them? Even so, something still felt off, so El offered a polite smile and shook her head.

“Thank you, but I’m just not ready yet,” she said. Brad hung his head and let out a sigh.

“I understand,” he relented. “When you are ready, you know where to find me.” El nodded as Brad walked away down the hall.

After school the next day, El was sitting in her room working on her homework when she heard a knock on the doorframe. She turned and saw Will standing in the doorway, and she smiled and beckoned him inside.

“What’s up?” El asked, closing her textbook and adjusting to sit cross-legged on her bed, facing Will who had taken a seat on her desk chair.

“I just wanted to see how you’re doing. We haven’t really had the chance to talk much lately,” Will said. “I wanted to remind you that I’m still here for you if you need anything.”

“Thanks Will,” El smiled. “I really am doing okay though.”

“That’s good to hear,” Will replied, and El noticed the sympathetic smile he offered her. She studied his eyes to try and read what he was keeping from her, but she came up with nothing.

“What’s going on?” El asked slowly. El watched as Will’s face changed from sympathy to panic, his eyes widening.

“D-do you not know?” Will stuttered.

“Do I not know what?” El demanded, her spine starting to shiver.

“Didn’t you talk to Max today?” Will asked.

“Yeah, I know she’s going to FearFest with the guys next weekend. She went over to Lucas’s last night after she left my house,” El said. “She told me you, Lucas, and Dustin were all there and that Lucas was going to talk Mike in to letting her tag along.”

“That’s all she told you?” Will probed. El’s heart skipped a beat as her mind began to race. What had Max not told her? Was it about Mike? What happened?

“Yes. Will, what is it?” El asked firmly. Will took a deep breath and let it out, looking El in the eyes.

“It’s not really a huge deal, and it might not lead to anything,” Will began and El felt her heart rate increasing with anticipation. “But, Mike is asking Lindsey to go along too.”

“W…what?” El asked, barely above a whisper. She started to feel nauseous, and her breathing was becoming rapid as she thought of Mike with Lindsey. El had seen Lindsey before; she had seen the two of them together. Mike had promised her that Lindsey was just a friend.

“El, I’m sorry, I thought Max would’ve told you,” Will said gently.

“Does he like her?” El asked. She watched as Will bit the inside of his cheek while trying to figure out what to say. “Just tell me the truth.”

“Well, he definitely likes her as a friend. She… kind of brought up the idea of homecoming to him, and now he’s… uh,” Will said carefully.

“He’s what?” El demanded, feeling her blood boil as she swallowed down the lump in her throat.

“He’s asking her to FearFest so they can have the chance to hang out in a group setting before he decides if he wants to take her to homecoming or not,” Will said quickly, convincing himself to just rip off the band-aid. 

“Oh,” El said, sounding defeated. She tried to calm her breathing, but she could not stop the sting of tears in her eyes, and Will noticed her reddening face as the first tear dropped down her cheek.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Will soothed, moving from the chair to the edge of El’s bed, draping an arm around her shoulders. El rested her head on Will’s shoulder and let the tears roll down her face while he squeezed her close to him.

“This isn’t how any of this was supposed to go,” El croaked.

“El, if you don’t mind me asking, how exactly was it supposed to go?” Will asked gently. El took a deep ragged breath to calm herself and sat upright to face Will.

“I… I… don’t know,” El admitted, her cheeks red from a combination of crying and embarrassment.

“Then why did you break up with him in the first place?” Will asked.

“Abby and Max made it sound like such a good idea. They made it seem like I would break things off with Mike, and I would be presented with all these different options, and I would just know if Mike was truly the one for me or not,” El said. “But I didn’t realize how badly it was going to hurt me, and I definitely didn’t think about how badly it would hurt Mike. And then after I did it, I didn’t feel happy or free… And I didn’t know where to start. Sure, there’s that Brad guy who keeps hitting on me. But I just… Will, I don’t know how I feel about anything. I just know that I never pictured Mike going out with another girl. God, I am so stupid.” 

“So… the way it played out in your head was you would break up with Mike, then all these guys would just come out of nowhere to take you out, then you would realize it wasn’t what you wanted, and you would ultimately go back to Mike who was supposed to just be waiting around for this to happen?” Will recapped, scrunching his forehead and trying not to sound as insensitive as he was certain he sounded.

“I don’t know how to explain it without sounding completely ridiculous,” El cried. “I just… The idea was in my head that I had to see what else was out there because I had only been with Mike. But then, I didn’t know how to go about seeing what else is out there. I didn’t know where to start. It wasn’t easy like Max and Abby made it sound. And now… I’m losing the one person I never thought I would.” El’s voice cracked and she buried her face in Will’s shoulder again as the tears started rolling down her cheeks once more. Will rubbed El’s back while trying to process the information he had just received.

“El, I don’t know what to say,” Will said softly. El sniffled as she sat up to look at him again.

“What should I do?” she asked, and Will’s heart hurt at the desperation in her voice.

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “You can’t ask Mike to not see Lindsey. That wouldn’t be fair to him. You’re not going to like this, but since you did break up with him, I think there’s only one thing you can really do.”

“What?” El asked.

“I think you should stop focusing on doing what Abby and Max got into your head. Stop worrying so much about dating other guys, and honestly stop worrying about getting back with Mike. I think a lot of this happened because of confusion on your part, and I really think you need to take some time to really focus on yourself and finding out what you need,” Will explained. “If you end up dating someone else along the way, or if you end up back with Mike, then great. But I really think you need to focus on yourself for a while and learn who you are outside of being with Mike before you could really be happy being with anyone.” El nodded as she considered his words.

“Are you going to FearFest with them next weekend?” El asked.

“No, I don’t like places like that,” Will replied, and El nodded her understanding.

“Okay. Well, I should really get back to my homework,” El said, picking up her textbook again.

“Let me know if you need to talk about anything else,” Will offered, standing and walking toward the door.

“Thank you, Will,” El smiled as he left.

That night, El did not sleep well. Her mind was too conflicted with thoughts of her and Mike, Abby and Max’s advice, Brad’s persistence, and Will’s advice. El had not felt so lost in years, and she hated that the one person who she was the closest to was the person she could not talk to about it. El arrived at her locker the next morning, her mind still whirling, and when her best friend showed up and leaned against the locker next to hers, El couldn’t suppress the anger that involuntarily filled her.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Mike and Lindsey?” she demanded, turning to face Max. Max’s mouth dropped open in shock at El’s accusatory tone, and she saw El’s anger and pain all over her face.

“I was going to,” Max started, but El shook her head and slammed her locker closed, walking away.

“El, wait!” Max called, jogging after her and grabbing her arm.

“Who is Mike going to go out with?” El mimicked Max’s words from days prior. “Isn’t that what you said when you told me not to worry? And now he’s asking her out next weekend, and you knew and kept it from me!”

“El, listen. He is asking her to come with us as a group, yes. It is not a date. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think there was anything to tell yet,” Max explained. “I was going to keep an eye on them at FearFest next weekend, and if there was anything to tell afterward, I was going to tell you everything. I promise.” El studied her friend’s face with pursed lips as she listened to Max’s excuse. After a moment, El shook her head and looked at the floor.

“Whatever, Max,” El sighed. “I can’t worry about this right now. My head is seriously going to explode, and I barely slept last night.”

“Come here,” Max wrapped El in a tight hug. “I know this is hard, but I promise, I promise things will get better.” El stared emotionlessly at the floor while her best friend hugged her. She decided not to point out that Max kept making that same promise, and it still had not begun to come true.

Over the next week, El did her best to follow Will’s advice. She did her best to focus on her schoolwork, happily showing off her improved test scores in algebra and science. She also gave dating little to no thought, doing her best to push the topic out of her mind when it entered. Will was right; she needed to find herself before she could date anyone. El did her best to maintain a happy face while at school, interacting with her friends like normal and smiling politely to people in the hallways. Brad did approach her a couple of times, and El remained cordial with him but continued to turn down his requests to hang out.

When the Saturday arrived that El knew her friends, along with Mike and Lindsey, were going to FearFest, she and Will went to the arcade together. El admittedly had a great time, having not gone to the arcade in months, and having not spent quality time with Will in nearly just as long. She was grateful that Will did not bring up their tearful conversation from the previous week, nor did he bring Mike in to the discussion at all. Outwardly, it would appear that Mike was not on El’s mind at all; though she had just gotten better at hiding it. Truthfully, Mike was the one thing that El had not figured out how to push out of her mind. El and Will returned home from the arcade around ten o’clock that night, and El retreated to her bedroom. She found herself wondering if Mike and her friends were still at FearFest and if they were having a good time. More than that, she found herself wondering how things were going between Mike and Lindsey. As the nausea began to threaten her again, El did her best to force Lindsey out of her mind and go to sleep. She knew she would hear everything from Max the next day. If there was anything to hear.

The next day, Max came over to the Byers’ house, and she and El went to El’s room to talk and hang out. El was doing her best to appear as calm and collected as possible. She was still trying hard to follow Will’s advice of focusing on herself rather than on boys, but she was also dying to know about Mike and Lindsey from the previous night.

“So, how was your night?” El asked casually.

“It was a lot of fun. I’m sure you’ll hear from Dustin tomorrow in your study hall that a couple of the actors with chainsaws really scared me in the cornfield,” Max replied with a laugh. “But we all had a great time.” El nodded along with a smile and waited for her friend to continue. She could sense the hesitation.

“Is there anything… to tell? Now?” El asked, referencing their conversation from the previous week in school. Max sighed deeply; she had been thinking all morning about how to break the news to El. She decided it would be best to just lay it out for her.

“Mike and Lindsey were getting pretty close through each of the haunted attractions,” Max began carefully.

“Close how?” El inquired.

“Close like… arms around the waist, holding hands, things like that,” Max replied. El felt the fire burning in her stomach but maintained a calm face while she nodded.

“Did he kiss her?” El asked bluntly.

“No,” Max replied quickly. She thought it would be best to leave out how close Mike and Lindsey had come to kissing on her front porch. “He did ask her to go with him to homecoming, though.” El nodded and let out a long exhale before speaking.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said. Max was quiet as she studied El’s face, looking for any hidden emotions.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” El smiled. 

El had another sleepless night that night. Mike might as well be dating Lindsey at this point. El’s stomach was doing somersaults at the thought of Mike’s hands on another girl, his lips on another girl’s lips, his laugh being caused by another girl’s jokes. Will’s advice to stop worrying about boys briefly skirted through her mind, quickly in one side and out the other. She had to do something. Especially now that Mike had already been out with a girl once and had a homecoming date lined up. El thought back to Brad. He was very persistent, and she knew he would go out with her in an instant if she told him she wanted to. But, he was the reason Mike had gotten upset a couple weeks ago, and El had promised herself she wouldn’t go out with him. Then again, Mike had also promised El that Lindsey was just a friend. Things change.

The next morning, El waltzed confidently to her locker and gathered her books for her morning classes. She had plenty of time before the first bell rang, so she walked down the hallway toward Brad Connor’s locker. As she approached, she saw Brad standing in front of his open locker, and she took in the sight of his nicely combed hair and his sharp jawline. As fate would have it, El saw Lindsey standing in front of an open locker across the hall and down a ways. El chuckled inwardly at the irony of Brad and Lindsey’s lockers being in the same hall. Right as El reached Brad, she saw Mike arrive at Lindsey’s locker, a smile on his face as he greeted her.

“El,” Brad said, surprised to see his morning visitor. El directed her attention to Brad, but she saw in the corner of her eye as Lindsey shut her locker door and Lindsey and Mike began walking closer.

“Good morning Brad,” El replied. Her eyes shifted over Brad’s shoulder again and made eye contact with Mike who was walking with Lindsey. She made sure Mike was within earshot before she confidently continued. “If your offer still stands, I am free every night this week.” El could have sworn she saw Mike come to a complete stop for a second.

“How does tomorrow night sound?” Brad asked.

“It’s a date,” El smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I still do not own Stranger Things or any of its original characters. I do not own the poem Annabel Lee either, as it belongs to Edgar Allan Poe.

After school that day, El got a ride home with Max because Will was going over to Mike’s house with the rest of the guys. The two girls hurried to El’s bedroom so El could fill Max in on her plans with Brad. He had told El that he would take her to dinner and then take her to his favorite spot in town to watch the sunset. She relayed Brad’s plans to Max with a giddy smile on her face, and Max became more aware of El’s innocence and naivete than ever before.

“It sounds like you’ll both have a good time,” Max smiled. “But before you go on this date… do you want anything to happen or not?”

“What do you mean?” El asked, scrunching her forehead in confusion.

“El,” Max sighed. “Guys don’t just take a girl to watch the sunset.”

“I’ve watched the sunset with Mike multiple times,” El shrugged, and Max pursed her lips in frustration.

“Yes, and then you probably had sex in his car afterward,” Max said.

“Not… every time,” El blushed. “But what does that matter? You think Brad is going to try to do… that… with me?”

“I don’t know for sure. But you need to understand that it is a very strong possibility,” Max explained seriously. “So before you even go on this date, you need to decide for yourself if you want anything sexual to happen or not, and if so, you need to know what your boundaries are.”

“Boundaries?” El repeated.

“Exactly how far you are willing to go,” Max offered. “Especially on the first date.” El nodded, her eyes wide with concern. She had not considered anything like this, and the confidence that she had felt earlier in the day was certainly rocked.

“I definitely don’t want to do anything with him yet. I barely know him,” El said definitively. 

“Okay, that’s fair,” Max agreed, feeling relieved that El was able to draw her own conclusion so quickly.

“What should I do if he tries anything?” El asked, the worry growing more apparent in her voice.

“Well, hopefully he’ll ask before just diving in, but that’s not always the case,” Max began. El nodded, thinking back to the man who started giving her unsolicited neck kisses at the college party nearly two months ago. “If he tries something you aren’t ready for, tell him to stop, and be honest with him. Tell him you’re not ready or that you just don’t want to.”

“And if he doesn’t stop?” El asked, remembering how persistent Brad was just to get her to agree to a date. Max was silent for a moment as she tried to figure out what to say. She herself had been in a situation the last time she and Lucas were broken up where a guy tried getting a little too handsy and did not want to stop when Max told him to. Max had rammed her knee into his stomach, and he immediately got the point. Max wanted to explain to El that it was okay to do what she needed to do to defend herself if she needed to, but she didn’t want to scare her by bringing the idea of physical violence into the picture. Then, Max remembered just who she was talking to.

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing you have superpowers,” she said in a light-hearted tone, trying to lighten the mood she had created. It seemed to work, because El chuckled at her comment.

“I don’t think it will come to that. I’m sure it will just be dinner and a nice evening before he drops me off back at home,” El said.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I just wanted you to be prepared since this is the first guy you’ve gone on a date with since Mike,” Max explained thoughtfully. El nodded her appreciation. After a moment of silence, curiosity struck Max at the thought of her previous comment. “Do you ever use your powers anymore?”

“Um, not a lot. But, sometimes,” El replied, and Max thought she saw her friend’s cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

“I figured you’d use them here and there for something small just to make sure they’re still there,” Max said. “Like turning the light off if you’re already in bed, or something like that.”

“Yeah… something like that,” El muttered with a grin as she avoided eye contact with Max, her cheeks definitely burning red now.

“Wait… what else do you use them for?” Max pressed. El couldn’t control the smirk on her face while she remembered the last time she had used them a few months ago. She felt how hot her cheeks were as she responded.

“I, uh… may have used them every now and then… with Mike,” El blushed. Max cocked her head and looked questioningly at El. She had an idea of where this was going, but she needed El to clarify. El sighed before adding, “Sexually.”

“What?! How?” Max exclaimed curiously.

“I thought it would be fun to pin him down so he couldn’t move,” El explained, her cheeks still burning red as she avoided eye contact with Max who was staring at her with a look of shock on her face.

“Okay, I don’t need to hear any more,” Max laughed. “Let’s just figure out what you’re going to wear.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mike, Lindsey, Will, Dustin, and Lucas were hanging out in Mike’s basement. Lindsey was becoming a constant addition with them, and none of the boys minded, as they all enjoyed getting to know her, and they liked that she was seemingly helping Mike get over El. Lucas and Dustin were playing Nintendo while Will, Mike, and Lindsey sat on the couch behind them watching; Will had already announced he would be facing the winner of Lucas and Dustin’s game.

“So where’s Max?” Dustin asked Lucas.

“She went over to El’s house,” Lucas replied, focusing on the game he was playing.

“Probably so they can talk all about the date El’s going on tomorrow,” Mike added, hoping he didn’t sound too bitter in front of Lindsey.

“Date?!” Dustin and Lucas both exclaimed, and Dustin quickly turned to face his friends on the couch, instantly allowing Lucas to beat him at their game. “How do you know she has a date? Who is it with?”

“Who do you think?” Mike chuckled. “Brad Connor. And I heard about it at school.” He shrugged, not telling them that he heard it directly from Brad and El in the hallway. Mike was almost certain El had done it in front of him on purpose, but he didn’t want to say that and look extra petty or jealous, especially in front of Lindsey.

“I’m sorry, Mike,” Dustin said sympathetically.

“You don’t have to be sorry for me,” Mike said, squeezing Lindsey’s hand next to him, and she offered him a small smile. “Will’s the one who lives with her and will have to see that asshole around if they start dating.”

“Yeah,” Will chuckled halfheartedly. He was fixated on the fact that El had a date already, and he felt slightly offended given the emotional talk they had recently had. Will had thought El was going to take it slow and just focus on herself instead of dating, and now she has a date with the one guy who she knew would upset Mike?

“Trust me, you don’t want them to start dating,” Lindsey said seriously, directed at Will. “He is not a good person. Obviously, I don’t know El, and this isn’t my place, but if you guys care about her, one of you needs to talk to her.” 

“That wouldn’t do any good,” Will said, shaking his head, bitter that the last time he had a heart-to-heart with El it clearly went to waste. “El’s going to do what she wants to do.”

“He is going to hurt her,” Lindsey stated matter-of-factly.

“How?” Mike asked, the concern showing on his face.

“Not, like, physically or anything,” Lindsey said. “But trust me, this ‘nice guy’ stuff is an act. He will break her heart if she lets him into it, and he will end up humiliating her.”

The four boys exchanged worried looks with one another, curious of what Brad could do to humiliate El. None of them wanted to see her get hurt, but Will had a point; El wouldn’t listen to any of them about who not to date. Mike had an additional question in his mind; how did Lindsey know all of this about Brad? He felt it was best to wait and ask her after his friends had gone home for the night. The subject of El and her upcoming date was soon dropped, and they played Nintendo and hung out for another couple hours before Dustin, Lucas, and Will all left for the night, leaving Mike and Lindsey alone on the couch. 

This was the first time that Mike and Lindsey had been left alone, and they had not discussed anything about what happened during and after FearFest a couple days prior. All Mike knew was that she had gotten quite comfortable with touching him during the haunted attractions, she had agreed to go to homecoming with him, and, of course, they had almost kissed on her front porch afterward. His friends were very accepting of her, and Mike genuinely enjoyed all the time he was spending with her. Yet now, here he sat, alone with Lindsey in his basement, her hand in his, and all he could think about was what Lindsey had said earlier about Brad Connor.

“Linds, can I ask you something?” Mike started tentatively.

“Sure, what is it?” Lindsey asked. Mike turned sideways on the couch so he was sitting facing her directly, still holding her hand.

“All that stuff you said earlier about Brad… you seemed really confident that he’s a bad guy and that he would hurt and humiliate El. How do you know so much about him?” Mike asked carefully. He hoped that Lindsey wouldn’t think he was hung up on El. This was more about his curiosity of Lindsey’s knowledge of Brad. Did she have a friend who Brad had hurt in the past?

“I know because I dated Brad,” Lindsey replied, looking at the coffee table. Mike’s eyes widened in shock. He had not expected that. Lindsey took a deep breath and turned to face Mike before continuing. “It was sophomore year, and I hadn’t really done a lot of dating. I’d had dinner or a movie with a guy here and there, but I’d never actually had a real boyfriend. Brad was in my geometry class. He sat next to me. It started innocently enough; he would ask me for help on a couple problems in the homework, and he started making jokes to me about the teacher. Just stupid stuff.” Lindsey paused, and Mike squeezed her hand to encourage her to continue.

“He said I should go to one of his games sometime, so I did. He saw me in the stands, and each time he made a basket he would point and wink at me. He just did these little things to make me smile,” Lindsey continued. “Then he asked me on a date, and I agreed. We went out a couple of times before he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes. I was ecstatic. I was dating this hot, popular guy on the basketball team. It’s a fifteen-year-old girl’s dream.” Lindsey said the last part with a laugh, and Mike noticed that her eyes quickly turned sad.

“He was my first boyfriend, and he was my first kiss,” Lindsey continued quietly. “He kept wanting more and more physically, and I had never done any of it, so I wasn’t sure I would know how, but he was persistent and kept assuring me that he would help me figure it out.” Mike wrinkled his nose in disgust at how Lindsey was describing Brad, and he gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

“He never actually forced me to do anything. If I really said no, he didn’t force the issue. But he was just so persistent, and eventually… I did lose my virginity to him,” Lindsey admitted. “And then a month later, I saw him making out with another girl in his car. I was devastated that he was cheating on me, and I broke up with him. Then other guys on the basketball team started giving me these creepy looks and smiles, and they started making sexual comments to me. It turns out, Brad told them everything we did… He told them stuff about me, how he was my first… How I looked. Just, everything. It was horrible.”

“I am so sorry,” Mike said softly, moving closer to Lindsey.

“It’s just… it was bad enough that he cheated on me. That hurt worse than I’d ever hurt before. I didn’t think anything could feel worse than that,” Lindsey said. “But I was wrong. And I haven’t dated anyone since.”

“I don’t blame you,” Mike said sympathetically. “What a jackass.”

“And I know not all guys are like him. In fact, I know most guys actually aren’t like him. It’s just that when you find one who is like him, it really ruins dating for you for a while,” Lindsey explained. “But that was two years ago, and I’ve moved past it. But I think you guys should know the truth about who Brad Connor is so you can try to save El from getting hurt… I know she is important to all of you.”

“She was important to me,” Mike corrected her. “I haven’t said a word to her since she dumped me. I don’t want her to get hurt either, but the only people she might listen to are Will… or Max. There’s nothing I can do.” Lindsey nodded her understanding, and Mike gazed at her in awe. Here she was, putting herself in a vulnerable position and telling him this personal information to try and protect Mike’s ex-girlfriend from experiencing the same pain. Mike thought back to the conversation that he and Lindsey had had in the library the day after El broke up with him; Lindsey had said El didn’t deserve to be with him and that Mike would find someone new. Yet more than a month later, Lindsey was looking out for El because she knew El was important to her new friend group. This girl must have a heart of gold.

“It’s really sweet that you care enough to try to protect a girl you’ve never even met,” Mike said.

“I still think what she did to you was wrong, but I wouldn’t wish what Brad did to me on anyone. Even El,” Lindsey smiled. “Plus, it helps you get to know a little more about me.”

“Well I really appreciate that you feel comfortable enough to tell me something like that. And I am so sorry you went through that. I can’t imagine how hard that was to go through,” Mike said. “He’s such an idiot. He was with someone as sweet and genuine as you, and he betrayed you like that. And like you said, not all guys are like that-”

“You aren’t like that, I’m sure,” Lindsey interrupted Mike’s nervous rambling and looked into his eyes with the same expectant look she had given him in the hallway when she had first brought up the idea of homecoming.

“N-no. Of course not. I could never cheat on… anybody,” Mike replied. He felt his stomach fluttering and swallowed hard as he noticed Lindsey had inched a little closer to him.

“I know you wouldn’t. You’re such a sweetheart. I think that’s why it was easier to open up to you. I feel like… I can really trust you,” Lindsey said softly and then bit her bottom lip, waiting for his response.

“You can,” Mike breathed. “I, uh… I really like you… and that’s kind of scary to me because of everything that I just went through… and I don’t want to end up hurting you.” He gulped again and tried to keep his breathing steady, but the sight of her big brown puppy dog eyes looking into his and her biting her bottom lip was starting to awaken urges that he hadn’t felt in quite some time.

“I really like you too,” Lindsey said softly. She raised her palm to Mike’s cheek and let her fingertips brush into his soft dark hair, not taking her eyes off of his. Lindsey moved even closer, and she could feel his breath on her own lips. A second later, the gap between them was closed as Mike connected his lips with hers. He let the kiss linger for a few moments, memorizing how soft her lips were and how she tasted of watermelon chapstick. When Mike pulled back, Lindsey nibbled on her bottom lip again, but she was unable to contain the smile that had formed on her face. Mike returned the smile as he lifted his hand to run his fingers through her long auburn hair.

“You are so pretty,” Mike said softly. Lindsey smiled and blushed, and Mike leaned forward to kiss her again, tangling his hand in her long strands while Lindsey wrapped her arms around his neck. Mike felt Lindsey’s tongue glide across his bottom lip, and he parted his lips to grant her entrance. She released a small moan in his mouth, and Mike felt electricity shoot all throughout his body as his blood started rushing south. Reluctantly, he pulled back from the kiss once again.

“I should really get you home,” Mike said. It was true; it had gotten late, and it was dark outside. But Mike also knew he couldn’t let things go any further tonight. He had a lot of feelings to sort out, and he didn’t want any lines to be crossed that would be unfair to Lindsey.

“Okay,” Lindsey nodded and stood to follow him upstairs so Mike could drive her home for the night.

After school the next day, El was in her room preparing for her date with Brad. She had the jeans and sweater that Max had helped her pick out the previous day laid out on her bed, and she was currently sitting in front of her vanity preparing to style her hair. Over the years, El had grown more accustomed to traditionally female things like hair and makeup. Joyce had taught her how to use a curling iron and had gotten her one for Christmas during the year they lived away from Hawkins. Her makeup skills were learned from a combination of Joyce, Max, and Nancy, and they had gotten better with time. El generally wore a natural look anyway, but on certain special occasions, she would apply a full face. This evening, her first date with Brad, was one of those occasions. While her curling iron was heating up, El was sifting through her eyeshadow palettes, looking for a good color combination to complement the maroon sweater she would be wearing. Just as she pulled out the right palette, there was a knock on her bedroom door. She called a “come in” to the person on the other side, and Will walked in.

“When were you going to tell me about your date?” Will asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Will,” El sighed, her back to him as she looked at him through the mirror on her vanity. “I didn’t see you last night, and it just never came up today. I figured you heard from someone else, or I would tell you this evening.”

“I did hear from someone else. I actually heard from Mike,” Will said. El felt her heart skip a beat. Mike did hear her and Brad in the hallway like she had hoped.

“How is Mike?” El asked casually, turning in her vanity to face Will. “How’s Lindsey?”

“Is that why you’re going out with Brad tonight? If it is, please stop this,” Will said. “I thought you agreed that it would be best for you to take some time to yourself and not worry about dating for a while.”

“Mike didn’t seem to take much time. Did you give him the same advice? Or is it okay for him to have another girlfriend already?” El asked bitterly.

“Lindsey isn’t his girlfriend. And maybe they are moving too fast too. But I’m here to talk about you right now, not them. You have to stop basing your decisions on what Mike is doing or what you think would make him jealous,” Will said bluntly.

“That’s not what I’m doing at all,” El replied defensively. “I did start to focus on me. I’ve been doing better in school; I’ve spent more time with you and your mom; I’ve had more girl time with Max. It’s been nice. But I’m seventeen. If I want to go out for an evening with a guy, there’s no harm in that.”

“So you going out with Brad tonight has nothing to do with Mike? It has nothing to do with him and Lindsey getting touchy-feely at FearFest over the weekend or going to homecoming together in a couple weeks?” Will asked accusatorily. “I know Max told you these things.”

“No, it has nothing to do with Mike,” El insisted. Will looked long and hard at her before letting out a deep sigh.

“I guess ‘friends don’t lie’ doesn’t apply anymore,” he muttered under his breath.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” El asked angrily.

“Look, it doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to make Mike jealous or not. There’s something you should know about Brad before you go out with him tonight,” Will said, trying to change the subject to what his original mission was before he entered the room. “Brad, he… he isn’t as good of a guy as he makes himself out to be around you.”

“What do you mean?” El asked skeptically.

“I mean he has a history of hurting the girls he goes out with,” Will explained and then quickly clarified, “Emotionally.”

“Will, it’s just one date,” El said.

“Yes but that can always lead to more. He’s been known to cheat on girls and say horrible things about them to his buddies. He has really screwed some people over,” Will continued. El chewed the insides of her cheeks for a moment while she thought over Will’s words.

“Where did you hear this?” she asked.

“I know a girl who went out with him a while ago,” Will replied vaguely. Mike had told Will an overview of what Lindsey had told him last night. He didn’t get into the personal specifics, but Mike wanted Will to know enough information to hopefully get through to El.

“So his ex-girlfriend is saying he’s a bad guy? That’s kind of a biased source. Of course she’s not going to have nice things to say about him,” El said, brushing off what Will told her.

“You’re Mike’s ex-girlfriend. If someone asked you about him, would you call him a bad guy, knowing that he’s not?” Will asked.

“Of course not,” El replied quickly.

“Then why would Brad’s ex do that?” Will countered.

“I don’t know, Will. Because some people just lie,” El said exasperated. “I’ve made my mind up, and I’m going on this date. And not that it’s any of your business, but Max already talked to me about going into tonight having set boundaries for myself. I’m not going to let Brad do anything.”

“I know you’re going to do what you want to do,” Will said, admitting defeat when El said firmly that she would not change her mind about going on the date. “So just be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” 

“I’ll be careful. But you don’t have anything to worry about. I’m sure he is a genuine guy who has a bit of a bad reputation because he’s a jock and some exes have said some lies,” El shrugged. 

“I hope that’s the case,” Will said begrudgingly. He felt deep down that it was not the case, but he couldn’t change El’s mind. He walked back into the hall, hoping that El wouldn’t end up getting hurt.

At six o’clock, there was a knock on the Byers’ front door, and Joyce opened it to see a handsome teenager she had never met. His light brown hair was combed, and he was dressed in khakis and a green sweater. He offered a friendly smile when the door opened to reveal El’s adoptive mother.

“You must be Brad,” Joyce grinned, extending her hand.

“I am,” Brad replied, shaking her hand. Joyce stepped to the side to allow him to enter the living room which was empty of any other people.

“I’ll go let El know you’re here,” Joyce said, excusing herself down the hallway. She returned a moment later with El who was dressed in jeans and a maroon sweater, a long silver necklace, with her makeup perfectly applied and her hair styled in large bouncy curls.

“Hi,” El smiled when she walked up to her date.

“Hey,” Brad replied. “You look beautiful.” El saw his eyes travel up and down her entire form as he spoke.

“Thank you. You look great too,” El said. El said goodbye to Joyce for the evening, and she let Brad take her hand and lead her outside and to his car. He politely opened the car door on the passenger side for El to get inside before walking around and getting in himself.

“I hope you like Mexican food,” Brad said, reversing out of the driveway.

“I do,” El replied. They rode into town where the Mexican restaurant was, having conversation here and there. El was a bit nervous and unsure of what to talk about. She had never really had a first date before. Her relationship with Mike had an unconventional start to it; there was no first date during an awkward getting-to-know-you stage. She thought it was odd that she and Brad didn’t have a smooth conversation during the ten minute car ride, but she reasoned that it could be because Brad was nervous too, or that the radio was playing. El was sure that once the date got underway, the nerves would wear off, and things would go great.

“Okay, here we are,” Brad announced as he pulled into a parking spot. He walked around and opened El’s car door, and then he took her hand in his again and led her inside. Once they were seated and placed their orders, the two of them sat in their booth munching on the free chips and salsa.

“I really like that sweater. It brings out the richness of your eyes,” Brad said, glancing between El’s sweater and her eyes.

“Thank you,” she smiled. “I like yours too. It’s a good color on you.”

“So, I have a question. Was that woman at your house Mrs. Byers?” Brad asked. El felt chills shoot down her spine as she remembered she never explained to Brad that she lived with Will Byers, who Brad had referred to as “Zombie Boy” when El had been resisting his advances to date her.

“Um, yes. I live with Will Byers and his mom,” El said. She saw the questioning look on Brad’s face and did not wait for him to ask before she continued. “Both of my parents are dead, and Joyce was close to them, so she took me in. I didn’t have any other family.”

“Oh. Well that was nice of her. I’m sorry to hear about your parents, but I’m glad you had an option here. If you’d gone into foster care or something, we probably never would’ve met,” Brad said, reaching across the table and holding one of El’s hands in his. She smiled as he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Yeah, I don’t like to think about what could’ve happened if I didn’t have Joyce,” El said. That much was definitely true. El wanted to change the subject. Thinking about Hopper’s death still made her emotional, and thinking about her incapacitated mother was not much better. “Where are we going after this?”

“You’ll have to wait and see it for yourself,” Brad said with a wink. “I know a place away from the rest of the town where I like to go to just get away, be by myself, and clear my head. It’s so quiet and peaceful, and it has a great view of the sunset.”

“That sounds nice,” El smiled, and she felt Brad squeeze her hand lightly. Soon after, the server returned with their dinner, and the two of them began to eat.

When dinner was over, Brad paid the bill and took El’s hand as they walked outside to his car. As they drove, it was already starting to get dark, so El figured they must not be far from where Brad was planning on going. She watched out the window as they drove by the Leaving Hawkins sign, and soon after, Brad turned down a path that El had never noticed. It was the type of path that you had to know it existed in order to see it, or you would pass it every time. Brad continued to drive as the path wound through some trees, and after a few minutes, he reached a clearing which overlooked a river. Looking out her window, all El could see were the trees and the river; only nature. If she had not just left the Hawkins limits, she wouldn’t have known a town was near them. Brad turned off the engine, and the two of them sat in silence in his car for a moment. They were facing west, and the river ran north to south, so the setting sun was reflecting on the water ahead of them.

“I can see why you like to come here. I’m sure not many people know about this place,” El said.

“I told you. There’s always a hidden gem you don’t know about,” Brad smiled, restating what he had said at the lunch table the first day he had introduced himself to El. “I like to come out here and just get away from all the bullshit at home and at school. It’s a good place to relax… I actually do homework out here sometimes.”

“Really?” El asked, and Brad nodded.

“It’s just such a poetic setting. Since we’re doing that Poe unit in English right now, I’ve been out here three nights in the past week and a half,” Brad explained. “It just puts you in a whole different mindset and really lets you appreciate the art of what you’re reading.”

“Maybe I can try that with you some day,” El offered sweetly.

“I can show you what I mean right now,” Brad said.

“You brought your English book?” El asked incredulously, scrunching her forehead.

“No,” Brad laughed. “But I’ve always been a fan of Poe’s work. I have my favorite poem of his memorized… Here, take off your seatbelt, and just sit back and appreciate the sunset.” El did as she was told; she removed her seatbelt and reclined comfortably in the passenger seat, looking out the windshield at the orange haze filling the sky and the reflection of the sun in the rippling water as Brad started reciting Annabel Lee in a low soothing voice.

“It was many and many a year ago,  
In a kingdom by the sea,  
That a maiden there lived whom you may know  
By the name of Annabel Lee.  
And this maiden she lived with no other thought  
Than to love and be loved by me.”

El sighed. Brad was right; this was a beautiful idea. She stared ahead as the sun continued to set, beginning to disappear behind the trees on the other side of the river and making the car they were sitting in even darker. She heard Brad shift in his seat next to her before continuing.

“I was a child and she was a child  
In this kingdom by the sea,  
But we loved with a love that was more than love,  
I and my Annabel Lee.”

The sun had set; the inside of the car was dark, partially illuminated only by the light from the moon and stars in the sky. El felt that Brad had inched closer to her, and she turned her head to see his dark form facing her a mere inches away.

“That was beautiful,” El said quietly.

“That wasn’t the whole poem. I can continue if you’d like,” Brad offered smoothly.

“That’s not necessary,” El smiled. She felt Brad’s hand caress her cheek and run one of her curls through his fingers.

“I’m so happy we finally did this. You look absolutely stunning tonight,” Brad said. His voice was deeper, and El thought it sounded quite sexy. She felt his hand that was in her hair tighten its grip on the back of her head and pull her toward him, his lips crashing into hers. El was taken off guard at first, but she quickly started reciprocating the kiss, running her fingers along Brad’s bicep as he tightened his fist around a handful of her hair. As El parted her lips and let her tongue meet Brad’s in the middle, she felt his other hand find her thigh and begin rubbing it. El placed her hand on top of Brad’s hand and gently removed it from her thigh. Brad did not break the kiss, and he did not return his hand to El’s leg. He must have gotten the point.

“I’m so happy we did this,” Brad repeated when he finally pulled back from the kiss. “You are so incredible.”

“I’m happy too,” El agreed, still in a daze from her first kiss in such a long time. Brad leaned forward to kiss El’s forehead before starting his car back up and heading back in to town. The drive back to El’s house was silent, and when they arrived, she was about to open the door and head inside when Brad reached out to stop her.

“Thanks for coming out with me tonight. I had a great time with you,” he said with a smile.

“I had a wonderful time. Thanks for dinner and for sharing that place with me,” El replied. 

“Hey El, I know it’s really late to be asking this because it’s only like two weeks away, but do you have a date to homecoming yet?” Brad asked. She truthfully hadn’t thought much of the homecoming dance and hadn’t planned on going. She didn’t want to go without a date, especially knowing Mike and Lindsey would be there together. And she hadn’t even thought yet about what friend group she would go with. Max would be going with Lucas… would the two of them want to be in a group with Mike or with El? El was going to make everything easier by just not going.

“No, no I don’t,” El answered.

“Would you like to go together?” Brad asked. El pondered for a moment. “You don’t have to decide right away. I just thought it would be fun, and we had such a good time together tonight, so I would love to see you again… I’d love to see you again before the dance too, actually.”

“I would like that too,” El agreed. “And yes, I’ll go to the dance with you.”

Brad smiled and pulled El in for a peck on the lips before bidding her a good night and waiting until she had entered the front door before pulling away. El walked directly to her bedroom and closed the door, leaning her back against it and sighing happily. She was right; the nerves went away, and she ended up having a great time. Max and Will had gotten her worried for nothing. Sure, Brad had kissed her, but she kissed him back and she enjoyed it. He had tried to make another move on her, but when she moved his hand off of her thigh, he did not try and cross that line again. He respected what she wanted, and El felt good about that. She had a good time, and she was looking forward to seeing him again. El felt better knowing that her friends were wrong; Brad was a nice, sensitive guy, and he wasn’t going to hurt her or cheat on her. She just knew it.


	7. Chapter 7

El had told both Max and Will about her date with Brad, and they each had very different reactions. Max had thought the sunset and poetry was a bit cheesy, but she was thrilled that El had stuck to her boundaries and even more thrilled that Brad seemed to respect them. Will, on the other hand, did not hide his skepticism about Brad’s behavior. He was certain that the sensitivity and poetry reciting was an act to make girls feel special so they would melt in front of him and do whatever he wanted. El had rolled her eyes at Will’s reaction, telling him that he needs to accept that he was wrong about Brad, and that he is actually a good guy. Begrudgingly, Will relented, but he still told her to be careful.

The next week and a half passed smoothly. El went out with Brad two more times, and he continued to respect her boundaries. She also found time to go to the mall with Max so they could each buy their homecoming dresses in enough time so their dates could ensure they had ties to match the dress color. At school, El saw Mike from time to time in the hallway with Lindsey, and she could tell by the increasing affection between the two that their relationship was growing. She tried to ignore any pang of jealousy by reminding herself that it was only fair for both herself and Mike to move on. She was happy getting to know Brad. Still, El found it difficult to tear her eyes away when she would see Lindsey’s hands on Mike. 

Three days before homecoming, El and Will got home from school, and Will shuffled through the pile of mail on the table, seeing an envelope with his name and one with El’s name, both from Purdue University.

“El! Mail!” he called down the hallway, and El appeared moments later. Will handed her the envelope, and she tore into it, reading the first line and lighting up with excitement.

“I got in!” she exclaimed.

“Me too,” Will smiled less enthusiastically.

“I can’t believe it! Can you believe I actually got into college?” El was nearly bouncing up and down. With all that had been going on, she had almost forgotten the college application she had submitted in August.

“Of course I can. You’ve come a long way the last couple years, and you were really working hard with Mi-” Will stopped and El’s face fell. “Uh…”

“It’s okay. Mike was helping me a lot. We wanted to be able to go to college together,” El shrugged. It was silent for a moment, as Will did not know what to say, until El spoke up. “I wonder if he got his acceptance letter yet.”

“He did,” Will said. “Last week, he got a few acceptance letters.”

“A few?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“Mike got into Purdue, Ball State, Notre Dame, and some school up in Chicago,” Will explained.

“Oh. I didn’t know he applied to so many,” El said, her face falling. “I guess… it’s a good thing we’re not together then. So he can go wherever he wants… Good for him, though.”

“Some people just apply to multiple schools,” Will explained quickly. “Lucas got into Purdue, too. He also got into Notre Dame and Ohio State. And Dustin got accepted to Western Michigan University and-”

“Will, it’s fine. Mike and I aren’t together anymore. We don’t need to go to the same school,” El assured him, though Will could tell the smile on her face was forced. He felt a strain in his chest when he saw in her eyes that El was just now realizing they were within the last year of the six of them all being in the same place. Will had been preparing himself for it, and he felt a bit guilty that he hadn’t discussed it with El.

“El, it’s not like we’re going to lose them if they go to a different school than us,” Will said gently. “There are holiday breaks and summer vacation.”

“I said it’s fine,” El repeated sternly. “Thanks for the mail.” She laid the acceptance letter down on the table and walked back to her bedroom, closing the door.

After school the next day, El was sitting on the bleachers in the high school gym. The basketball team didn’t have a game that evening, so they had a two-hour practice. Brad had asked El to watch his practice and go to dinner afterward, and she happily accepted. She didn’t know much about basketball, but it was one of the main topics Brad talked about, so after going out with him for a couple weeks, she was picking up on the concept. 

Her English homework was spread on the bench next to her; they were nearing the end of their Poe unit as Halloween was approaching. El found that she actually liked several of his works, and she even found the full poem that Brad had recited a bit of on their first date. Today, though, her assignment was sitting untouched, as she was too distracted by the basketball practice going on in front of her. Brad and his teammates had been at it for over an hour and a half, and El could see the sweat glistening on their skin under the gymnasium lights as the ball moved up and down the court. 

About twenty minutes later, the coach blew his whistle, and the team gathered around in the center of the gym. El couldn’t hear what was being said, but she knew it was finally the end of practice. She started packing her things into her bookbag, and when she looked up next, the coach had dismissed the team. Most of them were headed to the locker room, but Brad was lagging behind with three of his teammates. He kept glancing up at El and even pointed at her a couple times. El shied away and looked over at the wall when Brad’s friends turned in the direction he was pointing and looked at her. A moment later, Brad jogged over to El, and his friends joined the rest of the team in the locker room.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a peck on the cheek before sitting next to her on the bench. Brad lifted his shirt up to his face to wipe the sweat from his brow, and El snuck a peek at his toned abdomen. When Brad turned his head and caught her looking, he broke out into an amused grin as El turned bright red and started stammering.

“S-sorry I, uh…” she turned away embarrassed.

“Don’t be sorry,” Brad chuckled and reached out to squeeze her hand. “I just wanted to tell you I’m gonna go grab a shower, and then we can go to dinner. Give me, like, ten minutes.”

“Okay,” El nodded, still pink from embarrassment, as she turned back to face him. Brad still looked amused, and he offered her a wink before jogging over to the stairs that led down into the locker room.

Fifteen minutes later, Brad emerged from the locker room looking freshly showered, his damp hair combed and styled, and when he got closer, El could smell a mixture of body wash and cologne. He was not approaching her alone; Brad was with one of the guys he had been talking to at the end of practice when he was pointing at her.

“El, this is my buddy Tyler,” Brad introduced them when the two guys finally reached her at the end of the bleachers.

“Nice to meet you, El,” Tyler smiled, offering his hand for her to shake.

“You as well,” El smiled politely, grasping the hand he offered which encompassed hers like Brad’s did when he first introduced himself to her.

“Tyler actually invited us to a party at his house Saturday night after the dance,” Brad said.

“Yeah, you should totally come,” Tyler added, his toothy grin reaching all the way to his sparkling blue eyes. 

“Could I bring my friend Max?” El asked slowly. She didn’t want to say no, especially with how well things were going with Brad, but she had apprehensions about big parties after the one she and Max had gone to when they visited Robin and Abby a couple months prior. El was certain there would be alcohol at the party, and she didn’t want the only person she knew to be a guy she had only been seeing for a couple weeks.

“Max? Guy or girl?” Tyler asked, scrunching his forehead in confusion at the idea of El asking to bring another guy along in front of Brad.

“Girl,” El answered simply, unsure why it mattered.

“The more the merrier,” Tyler shrugged, the smile returning to his face. He ran a hand through his thick blonde hair. “The dance is over at 11, but I usually leave around 9 or so. Feel free to come over any time.”

“Okay, great,” Brad nodded. “Well we have dinner plans, so we’re going to head out.”

“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Tyler replied. “Great meeting you, El.”

“You too,” El smiled as Tyler turned to walk out of the gym.

For dinner, Brad and El went to a local burger joint for burgers and fries. Brad was scarfing his burger down, as he was starving after practice, and he had eaten half of his sandwich before El had taken her third bite.

“Your friend seemed nice,” she said as she squirted some ketchup onto her plate for her fries.

“You’ll meet more of the guys on Saturday. I think you’ll like them,” Brad said after swallowing a large bite of his burger.

“I’m sure I will,” El smiled. She hoped she would, anyway. She had been starting to feel lonely, and she hoped Brad’s group of friends would welcome her in the same way Mike’s group of friends had. Hopefully a couple of Brad’s friends had girlfriends so she wouldn’t be surrounded by a bunch of boys all the time. As much as she loved Dustin, Will, and Lucas, it had been such a breath of fresh air when she had become better friends with Max.

“I meant to ask you,” Brad started. “Not that it’s a big deal, but why do you want your friend Max to go to the party Saturday night?”

“She’s my best friend,” El shrugged. “I want someone there that I’m comfortable with.”

“Are you not comfortable with me?” Brad asked, furrowing his brow. El thought she saw a flash of anger in his eyes before hurt and confusion appeared.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” El said quickly. “I just mean, we’ll be at your friend’s house, and I won’t know anyone other than you. I want someone else there that I know so I’ll still have someone when you’re talking to people I don’t know… I would just feel more comfortable having my best friend there.”

“Like I said, it’s no big deal,” Brad repeated. “But don’t think I plan on ditching you for my buddies or anything. I plan on spending the whole night with you.”

El smiled and blushed a bit, and Brad dropped the subject of Saturday night’s party. They spent the rest of the meal talking about his upcoming basketball games next week and what evenings he was free to take her out. After dinner, Brad drove El home, and it was nearly seven o’clock when he pulled up to her house. He gave her a kiss before she told him good night and made her way to the front door.

Once inside, El grabbed the phone from the living room and went to her bedroom to dial Max’s number. When Max answered, El told her all about Brad’s basketball practice leading up to the reason she called.

“We were invited to a party after homecoming at his friend Tyler’s house,” El said excitedly.

“We?” Max repeated.

“Well, Tyler invited Brad and me, but I asked if you could come, and he said yes,” El explained. “So, will you come?”

“Of course,” Max replied quickly. “I’ll see if Lucas wants to come. If not, I’ll just third wheel you and Brad.”

“Thanks,” El sighed in relief. “I want to go and have fun, but I’ve only ever been drunk once, and I don’t want to be around a bunch of people without someone I really trust.”

“I totally understand. I’m glad you asked me. I’ll definitely be there,” Max assured her.

“Great. I just wanted to talk to you about the party. I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” El said. The girls bid each other good night, and El hung up the phone.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” El jumped, startled, and turned toward the doorway of her bedroom where Will’s voice came from. She frowned, realizing she hadn’t closed her door, and Will had heard everything.

“What? Going to a party?” El asked.

“Going to a party at some jock’s house where there will be alcohol, and you’ll be surrounded by people you don’t know,” Will said, stepping into her bedroom.

“Well, since you heard all of that, I’m sure you also heard that Max will be there with me,” El said snidely.

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea. You don’t know these people, and you haven’t even known Brad for very long,” Will explained calmly. “If you want to do something after the dance, why don’t we all just go to-”

“To where? Mike’s house? I’m not exactly welcome there,” El spat. “And I’m not exactly part of this ‘we all’ thing anymore either.”

“That’s not true. I’m sure Mike can just do something with Lindsey, and the rest of us can go to Lucas’s or something,” Will suggested.

“Will, have you not been paying attention? I only see you because we live together. You and I barely do anything for fun anymore. I talk to Dustin in study hall, but I haven’t seen him outside of school, and Lucas hasn’t even spoken to me since Mike and I broke up. The only person from our ‘party’ who still treats me like a friend is Max,” El exclaimed, tears starting to well up in her eyes as she yelled the thoughts she had been keeping inside. “No one else talks to me. I don’t know what’s going on in any of their lives. I didn’t even know they got accepted into all these colleges. It’s like they’re punishing me or something.” She watched Will’s face as he processed what she said, and she saw the realization that was hitting him.

“El, I’m… sorry. I guess I didn’t realize…” Will trailed off. He knew he and El hadn’t been spending much time together. He figured she was enjoying her time with Max and with Brad, although he personally disapproved of that.

“It’s fine,” El shrugged, and Will knew it was not fine. “But this could be a chance for me to make new friends… which is something I’ll have to do sooner or later anyway.”

“El,” Will sighed. He was at a loss. He knew he couldn’t hold her back from making her own decisions and spending her time with whoever she wanted, but he still didn’t feel right about her going to this party at Brad’s friend’s house. “Just… be careful, okay?”

“Stop worrying so much,” El smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

The next day after school, Mike, Dustin, Will, and Lucas were all gathered in Mike’s basement. Max was at El’s house, and Lindsey was babysitting for a family friend. They were hanging out just the four of them, something they hadn’t done in a while. A few years ago, Will would have jumped at this chance to play some D&D, but tonight, he had something he wanted to get off his chest after speaking with El the day before.

“Hey guys… so, uh, when’s the last time any of you really talked to El?” Will started awkwardly, not sure of how else to bring up the topic. Unsurprisingly, he was met with looks of confusion from Mike and Lucas.

“Well, that would be when she broke my heart and threw away a five-year relationship so she could fuck some guy on the basketball team,” Mike answered bitterly. Lucas pointed at Mike and nodded to signify that he also hadn’t spoken to El since the breakup.

“I talk to her in our study hall,” Dustin replied.

“That’s what I thought,” Will muttered when his friends confirmed what El had told him last night.

“Why?” Lucas asked.

“Listen,” Will sighed. “El and I were talking last night, and she feels… sort of… abandoned by the party.”

“She willingly left the party,” Mike pointed out.

“No, she willingly broke up with you,” Will corrected him as gently as he could. “But she didn’t willingly lose the only real friends she’s ever known… That’s something we did to her.” He looked around at Lucas and Dustin’s faces, and he saw the guilt start to creep across Dustin’s expression.

“I guess you’re right,” Dustin said. “I even promised her that she was just as much my friend as Mike is… But I never make an effort to see her outside of school.”

“None of us really do, other than Max,” Will admitted. “I live with her, and I barely see her except for in the mornings before school. We went to the arcade a couple weekends ago, and that was the first time we’d spent quality time together since… before everything happened.”

“The way I see it, Mike’s the victim here. I’m on his side. If he and El end up back together, I’ll welcome her back with open arms, but until then,” Lucas patted Mike’s shoulder. “I’m sticking with my best friend.”

“So you’re okay with just turning your back on someone who has been your friend for five years? Someone who has literally saved your life?” Will asked, and Lucas looked down at the floor.

“Well what do you want me to do?” Mike asked, exasperated. “Invite her over? I can’t do that. I can’t be around her. Plus, Lindsey’s here all the time now, and I don’t want my ex-girlfriend coming over and parading around my new girl… that I’m seeing.”

“Girl that you’re seeing?” Dustin repeated. “You still haven’t had the boyfriend/girlfriend talk yet?”

“It’s complicated,” Mike insisted. “And having El around wouldn’t make it any less complicated.”

“All I’m saying is that El is upset, and she feels like none of us are her friends anymore other than Max,” Will said. “I didn’t notice it until she brought it up, but honestly, I kind of see her point.”

“Fine,” Mike sighed. “I don’t want you guys to stop being friends with someone because of me, so feel free to hang out with El if you want. Homecoming’s tomorrow night. I’ll stick with Lindsey and her friends, and you guys can spend time with El and get to know her new… Brad.”

“And then we can meet back up here after the dance,” Dustin concluded.

“Actually, I agreed to go to some party after the dance,” Mike said.

“Party?” Will asked.

“Yeah. Lindsey brought it up a few days ago. I guess she’s friends with this girl whose boyfriend always throws a party after school dances,” Mike shrugged. “So I’ll have to catch up with you guys on Sunday.”

“Mike, do you know the guy’s name who’s throwing this party?” Will asked.

“I think she said his name is Tyler something,” Mike replied, waving his hand. “Why?”

“I wonder if that’s the same party Max asked me about,” Lucas chimed in.

“Um… it is,” Will said. Lucas, Mike, and Dustin’s heads all turned to face Will.

“Wait, so all three of you know about a party that I wasn’t invited to? That’s such bullshit!” Dustin exclaimed.

“I wasn’t invited either,” Will said. “I only know about it because… that Tyler guy is one of Brad’s teammates. Tyler invited Brad and El earlier this week, and El invited Max to come along.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Mike groaned, leaning back against the couch. 

“All right, it’s okay,” Lucas said, placing his hand back on Mike’s shoulder. “I never gave Max a definitive answer. I’ll go with her to the party, and I’ll just chill with you and Lindsey. Everything will be fine.”

“Okay,” Mike sighed, nodding. “You’re right. There’ll be plenty of people there. Everyone will be drinking; I’ll be with you and Lindsey, and I won’t even have to see El.”

“That’s the plan,” Lucas smiled. Mike returned his friend’s smile, took a deep breath, and tried to push away the doubt that was creeping into his mind about Lucas’s plan.


	8. Chapter 8

It was fifteen minutes before Brad had told El to be ready for him to pick her up, and she was just finishing her makeup. Her dress was on, her hair was styled perfectly (thanks to Joyce), and she had spent over an hour applying her makeup so it would look flawless. The finishing step, El smoothed cherry red lipstick over her lips; the shade matched her dress perfectly. She stood and faced the mirror to admire the end result, and she truthfully thought she had never looked better.

“Beautiful,” said Joyce’s voice from the doorway. El turned and smiled at the beaming woman.

“Thank you,” she said. “And just so you know, I won’t be home right after the dance. I’ll be spending the night at Max’s if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Joyce said. “I can’t believe it’s yours and Will’s senior year… This is the last homecoming dance I’ll be sending my kids off to.” Joyce was still admiring El through misty eyes. “You’ve all grown up so fast.”

“Is Will still here?” El asked. “I wanted to talk to him before we left.”

“No, honey, he left about ten minutes ago. He went to meet up with Dustin before picking up their dates,” Joyce explained. El nodded and looked down.

“Oh, I guess I’ll just see him at the dance then,” she said. “Brad should be here soon anyway.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about Brad,” Joyce began. El tensed slightly, wondering if Will had voiced his dislike of Brad to his mother in hopes that Joyce could talk El out of seeing him. “When are you planning on really introducing us? Sure, I’ve met him briefly when he comes to pick you up, but you’ve been seeing him now for a couple weeks and I really don’t know anything about him.”

“Oh,” El sighed in relief. It wasn’t an ambush. “Um, I don’t know. It’s not like he’s my boyfriend or anything.”

“Well, no, but he’s someone you’ve been spending a decent amount of time with, and if he’s someone special to you, I want to get to know him,” Joyce said. 

El frowned. Was Brad someone special to her? He was definitely attractive, El couldn’t deny that. She had spent so long resisting his advances and refusing to date him, but he had been so persistent, and once El had found out about Mike and Lindsey, she gave in easily. But she had a good time with Brad. Going out with him wasn’t about Mike… Sure, maybe Mike moving on quicker than she had expected was just the nudge she needed to give Brad a chance, but if she didn’t like him, she wouldn’t have continued going out with him. But still, was he someone special?

“El?” Joyce brought El out of her own thoughts. “Why don’t you just tell me a little about him?”

“Okay,” El agreed slowly. “He plays basketball, and he’s really good at it. I still don’t know much about it, but he plays every game, and he always tells me how many points he scored.”

“Well maybe if things continue with you two, I can go watch one of his games with you,” Joyce offered sweetly. “Jonathan and Will were never into sports, as you know, so it could be fun.” El nodded with an appreciative smile.

“What else?” Joyce pressed on.

“He seems really… sensitive,” El said. “Like, not in the way that he cries a lot or gets easily offended. But he seems really… hmm… Well, on our first date, before he brought me home, he took me to watch the sunset. And he recited this poem called Annabel Lee from memory.” Joyce was quick to maintain a supportive smile, but El did not miss the look of skepticism that quickly flashed on her face.

“I know some people might think it sounds cheesy,” El said quickly. “But we have English class together, and you know how much I’ve come to enjoy reading and writing over the years. Brad appreciates literature… I’m not saying that’s the only thing about him. But I really like it. It’s something different.” El looked down and picked at one of her cuticles before continuing.

“Mike was always more into math and science. He could solve any equation, and he liked knowing there was an end result he was looking for. English is more open to interpretation, and Mike got bored of that,” El explained. “Don’t get me wrong, he was creative and could write things when he had to… Must’ve been all those D&D years.” She and Joyce both chuckled. “But the idea of discussing the meaning behind the written words, Mike just wasn’t interested.”

“It’s definitely good that you and Brad have common interests,” Joyce agreed. “And I’m glad to hear he isn’t all jock and that he has a sensitive side that he’s shown you.”

“He has,” El assured her. “He’s so different from Mike, and Mike is all I’ve known.” Joyce offered an understanding smile, and El felt better after talking with her. It was true, Brad and Mike were like night and day, and El was hoping that there was still more to learn about Brad that would surprise and impress her.

Just then, there was a knock at the front door, and Joyce stood quickly to go answer it. El examined herself once more in the mirror as she heard the front door open and the familiar sound of Brad’s voice pleasantly greeting Joyce. She walked down the hallway and turned in to the living room to greet her date.

“Wow,” Brad gasped, looking El up and down as she entered the room. El’s pure red dress ended in the middle of her thighs, the skirt flowing around her legs as she walked. It was secured by spaghetti-style straps, and the bodice of the dress was a tighter fit, hugging her curves until it met the skirt at her waist. “You look fantastic.”

“Thank you,” El blushed. She took in the handsome view in front of her; Brad’s hair freshly combed, wearing a fitted black suit and a tie that was the perfect shade of red to match her dress. “You look great, too.”

Joyce gushed over how good the two of them looked, and she insisted on taking pictures before hugging El goodbye for the night and wishing the two of them a fun time. El let Brad lead her to his car, and soon they were on their way to the dance, excited for what the night had in store.

Across town, Mike was pulling in to Lindsey’s driveway. He turned off the engine of his car and pulled down the visor above the steering wheel to inspect himself in the small mirror. He would likely be meeting Lindsey’s parents, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit nervous. After all, Mike had never really been in a meet-the-parents situation before. El didn’t have a conventional set of parents, and he had known both Hopper and Joyce before he had met El. Sure, once their relationship had become official, things with Hopper intensified, but Mike still viewed his current situation much differently.

Satisfied that he looked as good as he was going to get, Mike flipped the visor back up into its resting spot on the ceiling of the car, and he walked up to Lindsey’s front porch which was illuminated by the porch light, showing they were expecting his arrival. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

“You must be Mike,” said the man who opened the door. 

Mike hoped his surprise didn’t show on his face, as Lindsey’s father was not at all how he had been envisioning. The man appeared to be in his mid-forties and was actually about an inch shorter than Mike. He was dressed quite professionally, still in dress pants and a dull tie, and he wore round glasses on his face. Mike had been expecting a gruff bear of a man, and he breathed an internal sigh of relief as he realized he was not going to be dealing with Hopper 2.0.

“Yes, I’m Mike. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Adkins,” Mike smiled and offered his hand to Lindsey’s father.

“Please, come in,” Mr. Adkins offered after shaking Mike’s extended hand. Mike obliged, and he stepped into the foyer as the woman who Mike assumed to be Lindsey’s mother scurried around the corner.

“Hello, I’m Lindsey’s mother,” she smiled warmly, wrapping her arms around Mike in a motherly fashion.

Mrs. Adkins was the same height as her husband, and she had brown eyes which were shining on her smiling face. Lindsey had definitely inherited her brown eyes and auburn hair from her mother, as the woman’s hair which was pulled into a bun matched her daughter’s hair color perfectly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mike said politely when Lindsey’s mother had released him.

“I’ll go see how much longer she’ll be,” Mrs. Adkins offered before turning and hurrying up the stairs. Mr. Adkins gestured toward the living room and invited Mike to come inside and have a seat, which Mike did.

“So, Mike, my daughter seems to enjoy spending time with you,” the man began. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself.” Mike nodded and clasped his hands together on his lap, unsure of where to begin. He had been hoping Lindsey would be ready to go so that they could have left directly after the introductions and avoided the small talk.

“Well, I’m in AP chemistry with Lindsey, which is how we met. We were assigned to be lab partners,” Mike explained.

“She did mention you were rather intelligent,” Mr. Adkins nodded. “She said you both got in to college in Chicago?”

“Yes, we did… But, not, like, together or anything,” Mike added quickly. He didn’t want Lindsey’s father thinking he was trying to sweep his daughter away to Chicago after going out with her for a couple of weeks. “We both happened to apply, and we were both accepted.”

“Were you accepted anywhere else?” Mr. Adkins asked, seemingly unphased by Mike’s awkwardness.

“Yes, I’m considering a few… Ball State, Notre Dame… Purdue,” Mike replied.

“Some good options,” Mr. Adkins nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.”

As Lindsey’s father was opening his mouth, about to question Mike about his hobbies and interests, the two men heard footsteps behind them. They both stood and turned toward the entrance of the living room, and Lindsey’s mother scurried in, grinning from ear to ear, Lindsey following behind her. Mike hoped his eyes didn’t bulge in his head too noticeably when he saw his date.

Lindsey was wearing a blue pleated party dress. It was lowcut but tasteful, accentuating her form, and it fell to just above her knees. Her auburn hair was curled and draped over her shoulders, and she wore silver high heels to complete the look. She approached Mike, smiling up at him.

“Hi,” Mike breathed in awe.

“Hi,” Lindsey returned.

“You look… really pretty,” Mike marveled, and Lindsey blushed.

“You clean up pretty well yourself,” she said lightly.

Mike and Lindsey let Mrs. Adkins take photo after photo of them until Lindsey finally groaned that enough was enough. Mike shook each of her parents’ hands, and Lindsey gave them each a hug and kiss goodbye, and soon Mike and Lindsey were out the door.

“Are you ready?” Lindsey asked from the passenger seat as Mike backed out of her driveway.

“For a homecoming dance?” Mike asked, scrunching his brow.

“Not just the dance,” Lindsey laughed. “Although it is our first public event together… But I meant are you ready to meet my friends?”

“Oh, yeah, of course!” Mike replied, reaching over to take Lindsey’s hand. “You’ve been really cool about spending so much time with my friends – and they love you, by the way – so it’s only fair that we spend some time with yours.”

“I’m sure you’ll all get along great,” Lindsey assured him. Mike squeezed her hand and drove on, silently hoping for the night to go smoothly.

Hawkins High School had a small dance committee which was comprised of twelve girls, three from each grade. Each year, the committee opts to save the majority of their budget for prom, so homecoming never has an actual theme. It is generally decorated with streamers from the ceiling and balloons. There was an arch made of balloons at the entrance to the gymnasium which all arriving students walked through, and the DJ was set up on the opposite wall with a blue curtain surrounding his station. There was also a photographer set up near the balloon arch to take photos of the arriving couples in front of blue and white decorative curtains. 

Brad and El walked into the gym, through the balloon arch, and paused momentarily for the photographer to take their picture. Almost immediately afterward, Brad saw a group of his teammates across the gym, and he raised his arm to wave at them. He grabbed El’s hand and pulled her across the floor to greet his friends.

His teammates were all wearing black suits and colored ties. Some of them stood with their arms around girls, presumably their dates, and others appeared to be attending solo. Brad pointed around the group, telling El each person’s name, though it was too many to remember. El smiled politely at each person, and soon Brad was engulfed in conversation that El was not part of. The girls who had accompanied Brad’s teammates appeared to be friends, as they were having their own conversation which El was also not part of. She shifted her weight and bit her tongue; Brad had assured her that he wouldn’t ignore her for his buddies.

‘We just got here,’ she thought to herself, assuring herself that he would turn his attention to her after chatting with his teammates.

El glanced around the gym to see who was there. The music the DJ was playing was filling the room, so Brad and his teammates had gotten louder, though El was still not listening to their conversation. She finally spotted her best friend across the room, standing with Will and the girl El assumed to be Will’s date. She placed her hand on Brad’s elbow and stood on her toes to say in his ear that she was going to go say hi to Max. He nodded, and El took off toward her best friend.

“El! You look so gorgeous!” Max exclaimed when El approached her.

“So do you!” El returned the compliment, wrapping Max in a tight hug. Max was wearing a black dress, heavy on the sparkle. 

“Hi El,” Will said over the music. He gestured to the girl to his side. “This is my date, Jessica.” El smiled politely and greeted the girl Will had introduced.

“Where are Lucas and Dustin?” El asked, turning back to Max.

“Lucas went to grab us some punch, and I honestly don’t know where Dustin and his date ran off to,” Max replied. Almost as if on cue, Dustin appeared next to Will, holding the hand of a girl in a purple dress that El had never met.

“Hey guy- EL!” Dustin interrupted his greeting when he saw El standing with Max and Will. “When did you get here?!” He pulled El into a tight hug, and she couldn’t help but notice a strong smell on his breath and the fact that he was swaying slightly.

“Hi Dustin,” El smiled, pulling back from the boy but keeping a hand on his back to offer support to steady himself. “I just got here a little bit ago. Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? I’m grrrrrrrreat!” Dustin mimicked Tony the Tiger, and El shot Max a concerned look.

“Are you drunk?” Max asked accusingly. El and Will’s eyes darted over to Dustin who pursed his lips at the accusation.

“Maybe I am,” he slurred. “Thanks to Tina, here,” Dustin lifted the hand of the girl he was with, “We just met up with her friends behind the gym for some shots… And since you assholes didn’t invite me to your party, I didn’t invite you to mine.”

“It’s not our party,” Max asserted. “And do you know how much trouble you’ll get in if you’re caught drinking on school property?” Dustin rolled his eyes and waved his hand to brush Max’s concern away.

“Trouble, shmubble,” Dustin mumbled. His eyes widened, and the others turned to see what Dustin was looking at as he loudly greeted their approaching friend. “LUCAS!”

“Hey, buddy, you all right?” Lucas asked, holding the two cups of punch out to the side in an attempt not to spill them as Dustin threw his arms around him.

“He’s grrrrreat,” Max said mockingly, and Lucas gave her a questioning look.

“He was off taking shots behind the gym,” Will explained, and Lucas gave an understanding nod.

“How many did you take?” Lucas asked, handing a cup of punch to Max. “And what was it?”

“Some kind of tequila,” Dustin slurred. “And who’s counting?”

“Might as well have just drank straight from the bottle,” Max muttered.

“Ayyyyyy,” Dustin hollered, pointing at Max as if that was the best idea he had ever heard.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Max scolded. When Dustin and his date started talking to Will and his date, Max turned her attention back to El.

“I would really rather not spend this evening babysitting this goon,” Max said, gesturing at Dustin. El chuckled and glanced up at Lucas who was taking a sip of his punch and avoiding looking her direction.

“Hi Lucas,” she offered.

“El,” Lucas nodded, still avoiding eye contact and taking another sip. El felt the sting of rejection, but she maintained her smile and turned back to Max who offered her an apologetic nod.

“So anyway, I want to apologize,” Dustin said loudly, draping an arm around El’s shoulders. She staggered a bit under his weight. “I promised you were just as much my friend as Mike, and I haven’t been proving that.” El smiled awkwardly and patted Dustin’s back, having hoped her and Mike would not be a topic of discussion.

“I’m gonna get better about that,” Dustin slurred. “We all are… Right, Lucas?” El snuck a glance over at Lucas and saw him roll his eyes before lifting his cup to his lips once again.

“It’s okay, Dustin,” El assured him. “But thank you. I really appreciate that.”

“Of course,” Dustin said, pushing himself off of El and saluting her before turning back to his date. El chuckled and shook her head. She turned her head and a flash of blue happened to catch her eye. El looked at the balloon arch near the door to the gym, and her stomach dropped.

Mike walked through the door into the gymnasium with Lindsey on his arm. She was laughing at something he said as they stepped under the balloon arch. They stepped over for the photographer to take their picture, Mike slinking his arm around Lindsey’s waist and resting his hand on the small of her back. 

After the photo, they stepped further into the dance, and Mike gazed around the gym. Music was playing loudly, and the room was beginning to get crowded. He soon felt eyes burning into him, and his gaze was drawn further to his right. When he locked eyes with El, he was sure he felt his heart skip a beat as all the air left his lungs. He stood for a moment, frozen, holding his ex-girlfriend’s gaze, taking in the way her dress clung to her in all the right places. Maybe it was because this was the first time he had seen her outside of the occasional pass in the hallway at school, but El just looked so…

“…beautiful,” Mike muttered under his breath.

“Huh? Did you say something?” Lindsey asked, looking up at him and sliding her arm around his waist. Mike was jerked out of his thoughts and looked quickly down at his date.

“Uh, beautiful. I was just saying you look beautiful tonight,” he recovered. Lindsey smiled sweetly and leaned up to kiss Mike on the cheek.

Mike shifted his eyes back toward El and saw her talking to Max, not looking his way at all. He let out a sigh and wondered where El’s date was. Just then, Mike watched as Brad appeared out of nowhere, draping an arm around El’s shoulders with a loud “there you are” which Mike heard over the music.

“Come on, I want you to meet some of my friends,” Lindsey said, taking Mike’s hand and pulling him in the opposite direction.

Mike met three of Lindsey’s closest friends. All three girls also introduced Mike and Lindsey to their dates, and they stood chatting for a while. Mike kept sneaking glances around the gym, locating his usual friend group and noticing how much Dustin was stumbling. Mike wondered if he had gotten into some alcohol before the dance. His eyes always found El, too. Sometimes she was talking to Max, sometimes she was with a group of jocks, but Brad was always with her. 

Of course Brad was with her. They were dating, Mike assumed. And El looked happy. Mike knew he was here to have a good time with Lindsey, and Lindsey deserved his full attention. He really did like Lindsey, and she had been so helpful in getting him through his breakup with El. Mike watched as Brad’s hand rubbed up and down El’s back, lingering a bit longer than Mike would have appreciated, and he tore his eyes away from her, determined to focus on the stunning girl he had come here with.

“Do you want to dance?” Mike asked abruptly, taking Lindsey’s hand. “We are at a dance, after all.”

“Yeah! Of course,” Lindsey smiled and walked hand-in-hand with Mike out to the dance floor.

The DJ had just announced he was going to “slow things down,” and softer music filled the gym. Mike placed his hands on Lindsey’s waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as the two of them began to sway to the beat of the music. Mike was staring into Lindsey’s eyes when he saw El out of the corner of his eye. He told himself over and over not to look over at her, to just keep focusing on his date. As he and Lindsey rotated, El came in to his clear line of vision, and his eyes involuntarily darted over Lindsey’s shoulder to observe El dancing closely with Brad. Lindsey noticed a small frown cross Mike’s face, and she glanced over her shoulder to follow his stare.

“She looks really pretty tonight,” Lindsey said softly, turning back to Mike, but not meeting his eyes. Mike felt like a ton of bricks had just hit him in the stomach.

“God, I am so sorry, Lindsey. I’m acting like such a douche right now,” he groaned.

“I get it,” Lindsey shrugged sympathetically. “You were together for such a long time. I can’t expect you to be over her in less than two months.”

“But I want to be over her. And I am getting over her,” Mike said quickly. “You’re helping with that a lot.” He lifted Lindsey’s chin gently with his finger.

“Well, here, let me help even more,” she smiled and pulled Mike down to meet her lips as she kissed him deeply. Mike pulled her closer to himself and clasped his fingers together over the small of her back, holding her body against his.

“You really are amazing. You’re so understanding with this El situation,” Mike said when Lindsey had pulled back from the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers.

“You can’t help how you feel. And it seems like you’ve been really honest with me about everything, so I know you don’t want to hurt me,” Lindsey explained. “I just want to help you however I can.”

Mike leaned in to kiss her again, and after a moment, he felt her tongue slide through his open lips.

“If you keep helping like that, I’ll be totally over her in no time,” Mike joked. Lindsey chuckled and rested her head against his chest while Mike held her tightly against himself. They swayed silently to the music, just holding each other, for several minutes.

“For the rest of the night, I’m going to be the date you deserve,” Mike softly broke the silence. “I’m not going to worry about what my ex is doing. I’m all yours.”

Lindsey’s eyes lit up at what Mike promised her, and she squeezed him tightly. The rest of the night, he kept his word. He and Lindsey danced to song after song, stopping for punch when they got thirsty. El did not cross Mike’s mind again, and he did not seek her out on the dance floor. Maybe it was because of how supportive and understanding Lindsey was being about everything. He felt like he didn’t have to hide anything from her; she just made everything so comfortable. Mike felt his heart swell at how lucky he was to have her, but he couldn’t help thinking he didn’t deserve her. She was almost too good to be true.

After the dance had ended, Mike and Lindsey got into his car and started driving to the party. Lucas and Max were following them in Lucas’s car. Mike wasn’t too excited by the idea of Max being there, but he knew he wanted Lucas around, and Lucas wouldn’t have been invited if it weren’t for Max in the first place. The thought that El would be there crossed Mike’s mind, and he quickly pushed it out. He had done so well during the second half of the dance, not thinking of or looking for El, and only focusing on Lindsey. Surely, he could do the same at this party.

Mike pulled up to a sprawling two-story house and shut off his car. As he, Lindsey, Lucas, and Max walked up the driveway, the bass from the music playing inside caused the whole foundation of the house to vibrate. They pushed the front door open and were instantly greeted with the vision of teenagers packed into the house, dancing on each other while the music rattled the walls, and holding cups and bottles of beer and liquor. Max couldn’t help but notice the similarities to the party she and El attended a couple months prior.

“He throws one of these after every dance?” Mike asked loudly, close to Lindsey’s ear.

“His mom passed away a long time ago, and his dad is out of town traveling for work almost every other weekend,” she explained. Mike nodded, accepting the answer. 

Max pushed past Mike and Lindsey, having told Lucas she was going to go find El. El had stopped and told Max that she and Brad were leaving the dance about a half hour before it ended, and Max had offered to leave then too, but El told her it wasn’t necessary. Max knew El wanted her there for her own comfort, so Max wanted to find her and make sure she was still doing okay. After Max took off to find El, Lucas leaned in to Mike’s ear to tell him he would go find some drinks, and he was suddenly off to the kitchen.

One of Lindsey’s friends who Mike had met at homecoming came up to them with her date, noticeably drunk, and each of them carrying two shots. She and her date handed a shot glass to each Mike and Lindsey, and the four of them downed the liquor.

When Lucas returned, he was carrying two bottles of beer for himself and Mike and a cup of whatever concoction was being served in the punchbowl in the kitchen for Lindsey. She happily took the cup and downed half of the drink in one gulp, earning a shocked but impressed look from Mike.

The three of them hung out, drinking their drinks and doing their best to talk over the loud music that was playing. They mingled with people who stopped by to chat, and they took a couple more shots that were offered by some of Lindsey’s friends. By the time Lucas came back from the kitchen with their third round of drinks, Mike had a good buzz going, and he could tell Lindsey was feeling the effects of the alcohol as well.

“Let’s go sit down,” Lucas hollered, pointing at a spot on the couch that had just been vacated. They hurried over, and Mike sat down on the empty cushion, Lindsey sliding onto his lap, and Lucas situated himself on the arm of the couch.

“Are you having a good time?” Mike asked into Lindsey’s ear, nuzzling against her neck.

“I’m having a blast!” Lindsey exclaimed, tipping her cup back to drink every last drop. Mike took the empty cup from her and set it on the coffee table in front of them.

“Why don’t you take a break for a bit?” he suggested, watching as Lindsey swayed in his lap. She had her arm around his shoulders, and she nodded in agreeance. 

“I wonder where Max is,” Lucas pondered, glancing around the house. Mike casually looked around, not seeing his friend’s girlfriend, and found himself nonchalantly rubbing Lindsey’s thigh while she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Do you feel okay?” Mike asked her gently.

“Mhm… I haven’t had that much to drink,” Lindsey answered dreamily, playing with a strand of Mike’s hair.

“I know… but you drank it all in a really short amount of time,” Mike pointed out. 

“Psh,” Lindsey waved her hand. She went back to playing with his hair until making a request a few minutes later. “Mike, can you go get me some water?”

“Of course,” Mike said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and kissing her temple. Mike shifted Lindsey’s legs off of him so that she was sitting on the couch and he could stand up. He told Lucas he was going to the kitchen to grab water, and he took off down the hall.

In the center of the kitchen, there was an island countertop where the punchbowl was placed with stacks of plastic cups next to it. Mike squeezed by some of his drunk classmates and grabbed one of the cups. He turned around to use the sink, and when he turned back, he stopped in his tracks as he saw the one person he had been hoping not to see.

“Mike,” El said quietly. 

She was standing three feet away from him, and he couldn’t hear her soft voice over the music, but he read his name on her lips. He didn’t say anything back, and El took a step closer to him, her mouth moving with more words that Mike couldn’t hear.

“I can’t hear you,” he said, gesturing toward his ear and then their surroundings, hoping she would understand. It seemed that she did, because she looked at the patio door to her left and then back at Mike with a questioning look in her eye. She tilted her head toward the door and took a couple steps toward it, waiting to see if Mike would follow her. He did.

“This is better,” El said, referring to the muffled music when they stepped onto the patio and closed the door.

“Yeah,” Mike agreed. He was watching the water swirling around in the cup he was holding, not looking up at El, but he could feel her watching him.

“So… how have you, uh, been?” El asked awkwardly. 

She wished he would look up at her. She knew that she had hurt him when she broke up with him… and then again when she checked out Brad in front of him in the cafeteria… and then again when she set a date with Brad in front of him in the hallway at school. She knew Mike had every reason to avoid her, but she still needed to know he didn’t hate her.

“I’ve been okay,” Mike answered and then paused. “You?”

“Good… I’ve been good,” she replied. 

There was more awkward silence. Mike was beginning to think following her out here was a mistake. What did they even have to talk about anymore? Nothing. He was about to walk back inside, which El must have noticed.

“How’s Lindsey?” she blurted out. Mike finally looked her in the face, wearing a surprised expression.

“She’s, uh, good. Yeah… things are going good. She’s really sweet, and… it’s good,” Mike said uncomfortably. “How’s playing the field?”

He swore he saw a flash of pain in her eyes, but she quickly recovered.

“Not exactly how I envisioned it,” El admitted quietly. Mike nodded. Part of him wanted to ask what she meant, how had she envisioned it, how were things really going with Brad. But he said none of that. He was here with a kind, lovely person who he really liked, and he wasn’t going to get involved in drama with his ex-girlfriend.

“Well, I’m sure it’ll get better… You probably have tons of… options,” Mike said, hiding his bitterness the best he could.

“Mike, I know you’re going to believe whatever you’re going to believe, but I just want you to know that there was nothing between me and Brad or anybody else when you and I were together,” El said quickly. Mike could tell she had been holding that in and was dying to tell him. “I know that doesn’t change what I did to you, but I just had to tell you.”

Mike looked down at the ground. Was she telling the truth? Had things really not started with Brad until after she broke up with him? Even so, it was almost immediately after. And it didn’t matter. El was with Brad, Mike was with Lindsey.

“Maybe s-someday… we can be… friends again?” El asked timidly. 

Mike almost felt his heart break in his chest again. Friends with El? Friends with the girl he fell in love with at twelve years old and loved with everything in him for five years? The girl he would’ve literally died for? To be just friends with her… But what really broke Mike’s heart was the insecurity in El’s voice. She really thought he hated her. And maybe he had reason to… But he never could. He looked back up at her, and she was staring at the ground. Mike didn’t know if it was the alcohol, but there were almost no words to describe how she looked. Beautiful, perfect, angelic… He had to pick one. Meet her halfway; take hold of the olive branch she was trying to extend.

“El,” Mike said suddenly, and she looked up at him with hope filling her eyes. “You look really-”

“There you are,” Brad said, appearing next to El and slinking his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. “I was wondering why it was taking you so long to get a couple drinks.” He eyed Mike suspiciously, and Mike took a sip of the water he was holding and turned away, pretending to look for someone while still listening to Brad and El.

“There were a lot of people ahead of me refilling, and I wanted to get some air,” El lied.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mike watched as Brad dipped his head toward El’s shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Brad took her by the hand, and Mike turned to watch as El was pulled back inside and down the hallway toward the master bedroom. Before entering the room, El looked back and met Mike’s eyes one last time, and Mike thought he saw something apologetic in her gaze.

Mike sighed and walked back inside the kitchen. He saw Lindsey standing in the doorway of the kitchen leading to the hallway to the living room, but he didn’t know she had seen him outside talking to El, or that she had seen him watch El disappear down the hallway with Brad. And Mike certainly didn’t know that Lindsey, with a bit of additional confidence from the alcohol, had made it her goal to make Mike forget all about El even being at this party.

Lindsey strode up to him and wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck. He went to look down at her, but he was instantly met with her lips on his. Mike’s eyes widened in surprise briefly before returning the kiss. Lindsey’s mouth tasted strongly of liquor, and Mike could tell by the way she was tugging at his hair and pulling his head into her that she was still tipsy. She pulled back from the kiss, and Mike looked down into her blown pupils as she stared up at him, biting her bottom lip.

“Let’s go upstairs. It’s too loud down here,” Lindsey purred into his ear.

Mike felt goosebumps spread down his body at the sense of Lindsey’s breath on his ear and neck, but he allowed her to take his hand and lead him toward the staircase, only briefly glancing back at the closed door that he had watched El walk through with Brad moments ago.

Upstairs, Lindsey led him straight to an empty guest room, and she closed and locked the door behind them. Her lips were attacking his again, and she pushed his suit jacket down his arms until it fell to the floor. Lindsey wrapped her arms around Mike’s waist and started walking him backward until he felt the backs of his legs collide with the bed. She pressed her body against his until he fell backward and she landed on top of him, never breaking the kiss.

Mike’s head was spinning. He knew he wasn’t that drunk, but just how drunk was Lindsey? He felt Lindsey’s lips traveling from his mouth down his jaw and to the side of his neck. Mike tried to ignore the warmth rushing through his body. Everything she was doing felt so good… gliding her tongue over his skin, sucking and nibbling along his neck… He had to ground himself before it was too late. 

He turned his head and tried focusing on his surroundings. The room was so bland; there was hardly any decoration other than the set of three paintings above the dresser. Mike turned his head back and just stared up at the ceiling, trying to steady his breathing. He lifted his hands to Lindsey’s shoulders and was about to push her back a bit before-

“Uhn… fuck,” he breathed as Lindsey released the suction she had on his neck with a pop. She flicked his earlobe with her tongue and giggled, her hot breath sending another warm wave over Mike’s body. He closed his eyes for a moment, about to give in to the girl on top of him. He could easily let loose, stop resisting and let his instincts take control…

“Lindsey,” Mike said clearly, his eyes shooting open as he pushed up lightly against her shoulders. Lindsey trailed her kisses back to Mike’s lips.

“Linds… hey… stop,” Mike’s muffled voice said between kisses. He turned his head away from her. “Lindsey, stop for a minute.” And she did. Mike turned back to look at her, her droopy eyes filled with disappointment and hurt as she hovered over him.

“What? Do you not like it?” she asked.

“Oh, I do! Believe me, I do,” Mike said quickly. “But you’re drunk, and-”

“I’m not drunk,” Lindsey protested, opening her droopy eyes as wide as she could. “I’m a little tipsy… but I know exactly what I’m doing, and I know exactly what I want.” She leaned down again and planted a couple kisses on his neck while she pulled at his tie to loosen it.

“I just… oh shit… I, uh, just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret,” Mike said as Lindsey began rubbing his chest as she pulled at his tie.

“Why would I regret this?” she asked, moving to the other side of Mike’s neck and nibbling his other earlobe.

“I know you haven’t… been with anyone in a long time and… you’re dru – er – tipsy… I just don’t want to be taking advantage of you,” Mike said sincerely. Lindsey stopped what she was doing and brought her face directly over Mike’s so her eyes could meet his before he continued. “I told you, I really like you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You would never take advantage of me,” Lindsey said softly. “You’ve been nothing but sweet to me. And I’m doing this – or, I’m trying to do this – because I want to… Now, if you want me to stop, I’ll stop… But I really want to make you feel good… Don’t you want me to make you feel good?” She had moved her fingers slowly down Mike’s body until she reached his pants, and Lindsey pulled at his shirt until it was completely untucked. Then, she waited patiently for his response.

Of course Mike wanted it. He hadn’t been touched like this in so long. And Lindsey seemed sure that she wanted it too. He had been as clear with her as he could be, and she insisted this was what she wanted. 

El flashed in his mind. The way she had taken his breath away at the dance. The interaction they had just had on the patio.

But she was downstairs… in another bedroom… with Brad. They may have reached an unspoken understanding that they could be civil, but they still weren’t together. They were both with other people.

And right now, the girl Mike was with was on top of him, practically begging to make him feel good, and just waiting for his answer.

“Yes… please,” Mike said quietly against Lindsey’s lips.

She smiled and kissed him while her hands went to work on his belt. Mike hungrily kissed her, his hand tangling in her hair as he held her mouth firmly against his while their tongues meshed together. He moaned into Lindsey’s mouth when he felt her unzip his pants, and his hardening member was granted some relief.

Lindsey pulled his pants and underwear down his legs, and Mike’s cock was exposed to her for the first time. She readily wrapped her fingers around it and began pumping slowly. Mike closed his eyes and hissed in ecstasy at the feeling of her hand wrapped just right around him. He felt her rub her thumb over the tip, spreading a bit of pre-cum down his shaft so her hand could glide easier up and down.

“Does that feel good?” Mike opened his eyes and looked down to meet Lindsey’s gaze at the sound of her voice.

“S-so good,” he whispered. 

Lindsey smiled mischievously and licked her lips. Mike watched as she lowered her mouth to the base of his penis and traced her tongue along the underside all the way up to his tip. He groaned as Lindsey started gliding her tongue along each side of his cock, treating it like a lollipop. Mike’s eyes nearly closed again, until he felt her lips expand slowly over the tip of his penis, encompassing the first inch in her mouth while her tongue swirled around the head.

Mike reached down for Lindsey’s hand that was resting on his thigh, and he intertwined their fingers, squeezing as she began to lower herself, taking him fully into her mouth an inch at a time. Lindsey’s mouth came to a stop when she had engulfed Mike’s entire length, and she started to slowly bob her head up and down his shaft while using her free hand to gently massage his balls.

A moan escaped Mike’s throat, and he placed his hand on the back of Lindsey’s head, grasping a handful of her hair while she picked up the pace. He looked down to watch her, and her dark eyes met his while her lips maintained the perfect amount of suction on his cock. She moved her lips all the way up until he was removed from her mouth, and her hand began vigorously jerking him, mixing her saliva with his pre-cum.

“You’re fucking incredible,” Mike groaned. 

Lindsey grinned before leading her mouth back to his throbbing erection, taking the whole length in much quicker this time. She felt Mike’s tip hit the back of her throat and heard him yelp as he tightened his fist around the handful of her hair. Lindsey sucked harder, bobbing her head up and down his shaft, and she felt his hand on the back of her head begin to guide her speed and movement.

“Oh God…” Mike breathed. “Don’t stop Linds… ugh fuck.”

Mike felt Lindsey transfer the control over to him as he pushed and pulled on the back of her head and started thrusting his hips to match the motions. He heard her muffled groan, the vibrations causing his dick to twitch. 

Mike knew he was close. It had been so long since he’d felt like this.

Lindsey grasped Mike’s hips, her fingers digging into his skin as he thrusted into her mouth. A gurgling sound filled her throat, sending vibrations around Mike’s cock once again, and he grunted loudly.

“Shit… I’m gonna cum,” Mike moaned, his hands still on the back of Lindsey’s head. “Ooh I’m gonna cum… fuck… fuck I’m cummi-ahhh.”

Mike released his hold on Lindsey’s head as the first string of cum hit the back of her throat. She quickly removed her mouth and replaced it with her hand, pumping him until his entire eruption of white, hot cum had coated her hand and his pelvis. Mike began to relax beneath her, and Lindsey gently released his penis when she felt the tension in his body subside.

There was a box of tissues on the nightstand, and Lindsey grabbed a couple to wipe her hand with. Her skin still felt sticky, but it would do the job until she could reach a sink. She set the box of tissues next to Mike on the bed so he could clean himself, and then she crawled up and laid next to him, propping herself up on one elbow and grinning at him, appearing pleased with herself.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Lindsey smirked. 

“That’s putting it lightly,” Mike chuckled, not totally believing it had really just happened. Lindsey grinned and cupped the side of Mike’s face in one hand, turning him to face her and planting a kiss on his lips.

“Clean yourself up. We should get back downstairs,” she said. Mike felt a bit selfish, knowing Lindsey hadn’t gotten any relief from what they had just done.

“Are you sure? I could… um… if you wanted, I mean,” Mike raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Lindsey smiled before kissing him again.

“This was to make you feel good. You’ll have plenty of time to pay me back later,” she said with a wink.

“Well I definitely owe you one after that,” Mike said, reaching for the box of tissues.

While Mike cleaned himself and put his clothes back on, Lindsey stepped out of the room and into the hall bathroom to tidy herself up. She wet some toilet paper and wiped the smeared mascara from under her eyes and the lipstick from around her mouth. When she felt she looked presentable enough, she exited the bathroom and rejoined Mike so they could go back downstairs to the party.

When Mike and Lindsey reached the bottom of the stairs, Mike instantly found Max and Lucas leaning against a wall in the living room, talking to none other than El. Well, Max was talking to El, at least. Lucas was leaning his head against the wall, looking like he was focusing very hard on not falling asleep standing up. When Mike saw El, his mind flooded with questions. What happened in that bedroom? Where is Brad? Did she see him and Lindsey coming down from upstairs?

The latter was answered when El turned her head and locked eyes with Mike. She quickly noticed Lindsey’s makeup looked different. Mike averted El’s gaze, but not before she saw something faint in his expression… Was that guilt?

“We’re gonna head out,” Mike said, mainly to Lucas, when he and Lindsey reached them.

“You okay to drive?” Lucas asked.

“Yeah,” Mike nodded. He had sobered up from the drinks he had earlier in the night. He and Lindsey told Lucas and Max good night, and Mike offered El a small nod and smile, before they turned and walked out the front door.

On their way down the driveway, Lindsey stopped suddenly, realizing she had forgotten her clutch.

“I think I left it on the couch,” she said. “I’ll be right back!” She hurried back toward the front door.

Mike slowly walked over to his car and leaned against the hood, waiting for his date to come back out. To his right, he saw someone approaching and smelled the distinct smell of smoke.

“Hey Wheeler,” Brad said, stepping in front of Mike and breathing a cloud of smoke off to the side. “Enjoying my sloppy seconds?”

“You’re disgusting,” Mike glared.

“Your ex-girlfriend doesn’t seem to think so,” Brad smirked.

“She’s going to see through you. She’s not stupid,” Mike insisted, and Brad chuckled.

“Who says there’s anything to see through? I could really like El,” he said, holding up his hands in fake surrender.

“I know how you treated Lindsey a couple years ago,” Mike said. “Once you get what you want from El, you’re going to toss her to the side and go after your next conquest with your nice guy act.”

“You should really keep the storytelling to your stupid dragon game,” Brad sneered, tossing his cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. “And you should stay away from El, for your own good. I don’t want to see you talking to her, making eyes at her from across the room, none of that. You had your shot with her, and now you need to back off.”

“What’s going on?” Lindsey’s voice caused both Mike and Brad to snap their heads in her direction. She stood at the end of the driveway holding the clutch she had gone back in to retrieve.

“Nothing,” Brad smirked, and Lindsey noticed how he eyed her up and down. “You two have a good night.”

Brad walked back up the driveway to go back inside the party, while Mike and Lindsey got into Mike’s car. Lindsey asked again what Brad had been saying to him, and Mike told her not to worry about it. He dropped Lindsey off at home, walking her to the front door and sharing a good night kiss, and then he took the long way around town to get to his house. Mike could feel that things were not going to end well between Brad and El, and as much as he tried to push that from his mind and pretend he didn’t care if El got hurt, he knew that wasn’t the case. He just hoped that whatever happened, someone would be there for her. Especially since that person could no longer be him.


	9. Chapter 9

“El,” Mike said. 

She looked up at him, holding her breath as she fixed her wide hopeful eyes on his face. What was he going to say? That he believes her about not being with Brad while the two of them were together? That they can absolutely be friends again? That he could never hate her in a million years?

“You look really-” Mike was interrupted when Brad appeared, slinging his arm over her shoulder with another “there you are.” El felt her stomach drop as she watched Mike sip from his cup and turn to look away. Now she would never know what he had been about to say.

“I was wondering why it was taking you so long to get a couple drinks,” Brad said, and El noticed the suspicious glance he shot Mike who was facing away from them at this point.

“There were a lot of people ahead of me refilling, and I wanted to get some air,” El offered as an explanation. Brad didn’t need to know that she had initiated the conversation with Mike and that she had pulled him out here with her. She certainly didn’t like the vibe she was getting from Brad as he held her close to his side and eyed Mike. 

El felt Brad nudge her hair out of his way with his nose as he dipped his face to whisper in her ear. Ordinarily, him closing in like this would make El blush and grin, but tonight she felt her body tense up as his lips grazed along her skin. Secretly, she hoped Mike wasn’t seeing this, but she sensed that he was.

“You’re cold,” Brad whispered as his warm skin touched El’s chilled skin. “Let’s go back inside, and I’ll warm you up.”

Brad linked his fingers with El’s and pulled her through the patio door back into the kitchen before she could react. She looked back over her shoulder through the glass at Mike who was still standing outside on the patio, and she felt overwhelming remorse. Remorse for hurting him, remorse for their conversation being interrupted and cut short… and remorse for him having to watch as another guy pulled her down the hallway away from him and into a bedroom.

The door closed behind them, and Brad turned the lock before tangling both his hands in El’s hair as he pulled her lips to his. He kissed her hungrily, moving his hands down her back until they reached her ass. El’s eyes shot open wide, and she squeaked into his mouth as Brad firmly squeezed her ass cheeks, pulling her body closer against his. In one swift motion, Brad quite literally swept El from her feet as he linked one hand under each of her thighs to wrap her legs around his waist, and he turned and carried her to the bed.

Brad laid El on her back and hovered over her before diving into the crook of her neck, covering her skin in kisses. El was unsure of what to do. Everything had just happened so quickly. Not even five minutes ago, she had been outside talking to Mike, and now she was laying underneath Brad while he nipped and sucked the skin on her collarbone. She knew she should be feeling something. She should be feeling goosebumps spread over her body or a warmth pooling in her lower region. But as El lay under Brad, hearing him pant into her ear and feeling his dick hardening through his pants against her thigh, she felt nothing but uncomfortable.

El’s mind was still out on that patio with Mike, ready to hang on whatever words he had been about to say to her before she had gotten pulled away. She wasn’t focused on her date or on what was going on in this bedroom, and truthfully, she wasn’t in the mood for it anyway. 

“Brad,” El said, pulling her neck away from the suction of his lips.

“Hmm?” Brad hummed into her ear as he adjusted so he could reach her jawline again and began tracing kisses over it.

“I don’t think we should…” El said, pulling away again and maneuvering one of her arms in between her body and his, placing a hand on Brad’s chest and pushing him lightly upward, hoping he would get the hint that she wanted him off of her.

It seemed as though Brad did get the hint because he propped himself up to hover over her, fully extending both of his arms, and El noticed she was still trapped beneath him while he glowered down at her.

“What’s the matter?” he asked in a low voice. El swallowed hard while looking up at him, and she moved her leg so it was no longer touching Brad’s semi-hard penis.

“Nothing’s the matter. It’s just we’ve never gone any farther together and-”

“And tonight is the perfect time to change that,” Brad interrupted, and El noticed how much smoother his voice had become. “You look so beautiful tonight, and I can’t think about anything but being with you.”

El found that hard to believe, as the two of them had been separated numerous times throughout the night. First, Brad had been so engulfed in conversation with his teammates at the dance that he didn’t acknowledge El standing next to him waiting to be included until she finally left to go see her own friends. Then, when Brad and El had gotten to the party about a half hour before the homecoming dance was even due to end, she had been put on the back burner while he took shots with some of his buddies. When El had seen Max arrive, she had excused herself to greet her best friend and accompany her to the kitchen for a drink. And most recently, El had snuck away to refill her cup when Brad was in the middle of a game of beer pong with Tyler. For someone who had told her he planned on spending the whole night with her, Brad had certainly spent a lot of the night away from her.

“I’m just not… ready,” El said. “I’m sorry.”

She knew she shouldn’t have to apologize for not wanting to have sex with him, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. Brad had been nothing but nice to her, taking her out on dates and respecting all of her boundaries. She hoped he would be understanding and respect her wishes again.

“It’s fine,” he huffed, and El caught a strong whiff of alcohol. She had known he had been drinking much heavier than she had.

“Thank you,” El said in relief as Brad stood from the bed. She sat up on the edge, facing him as he stood in front of her.

“What are you thanking me for? If the answer’s no, it’s no,” Brad said bitterly as he shrugged. El thought that would be the end of the conversation, until Brad muttered under his breath, “Thanks a fucking lot, Wheeler.”

“What did you say?” El asked firmly, narrowing her eyes as Brad ran a hand through his hair.

“I saw you talking to your ex-boyfriend,” Brad accused.

“So? I haven’t talked to him since we broke up. I was just asking how he’s been,” El explained, adding in her mind that it wasn’t any of Brad’s business what she was talking to Mike about.

“Sure. So that’s why we’ve been going out for a few weeks, and things have been great. I’ve bought you dinner, bought your homecoming ticket, bought a fucking tie to match the color of your dress. We were having a great time together tonight, then I walk up to see you talking to Mike Wheeler with heart-eyes like you’re in a fucking Disney movie or something, and now all of a sudden you aren’t interested in me anymore?” Brad spat.

“What?!” El exclaimed, completely dumbfounded. “I never said I wasn’t interested in you anymore. I said I wasn’t ready to have sex. And buying me dinner and taking me to a dance isn’t going to speed that process up.”

She sat silent for a moment, staring up at Brad, fuming inside. How could he feel so entitled to her? How could she have been so stupid? She defended him time and time again, and here he was in front of her, proving everything Will had said right. El shook her head and stood from the bed to walk past him.

“I need to get out of here,” she muttered.

“Need some more air?” Brad said venomously, stopping El in her tracks as her blood boiled. She spun on her heel to face Brad who was giving her a smug look. El opened her mouth to say something, anything. She wanted to tell him off, call him a pig, tell him to never call her again. But she thought better of it and closed her mouth.

“Forget it,” she said, waving her hand, and turned her back to Brad, reaching for the door.

“El, wait,” Brad said, jogging over and inserting himself between El and the bedroom door.

“No, Brad. Enough. You’ve been drinking, and I don’t want to hear any more,” El insisted, trying to push him to the side so she could open the door.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I promise,” Brad said calmly, taking one of El’s hands in his and staring at her with pleading eyes.

“Then why did you say it?” El asked, pulling her hand out of his grip.

“I don’t know, I…” Brad sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. “I guess it’s just because I like you so much, and… I don’t know. Knowing how long you were with Mike and how close you must’ve been to him… It just feels like you won’t let me in quite like that. So seeing you with him made me… jealous. And then when you shut me down right after… And I know that it’s totally your right to say no. I guess I just… I guess I’m just an idiot.”

El stood quietly, looking into Brad’s eyes, trying to read whether he was being truthful with her. He did seem genuine, and after all, he had been drinking. Plus, El could relate to feelings of jealousy, thinking of Mike and Lindsey. She began to slowly shake her head, and Brad relaxed a bit when a smile started to tug at the corners of El’s lips.

“Well, you are an idiot,” El grinned, and Brad furrowed his brow, noticeably taken aback by her words. “Mike and I have known each other for five years. It has nothing to do with me not ‘letting you in.’ And I like you too, obviously, or I wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Brad sighed in relief and took El’s hand again.

“So, are we okay?” he asked hopefully. El bit her bottom lip while thinking about how to answer. Truthfully, no, they weren’t okay. She really did not appreciate what Brad had said and how entitled to sex he had seemed. But, he did seem genuinely sorry, and it was completely possible that he was acting childish because of the alcohol.

“Not quite, but I think we will be,” El smiled.

“I’ll take it,” Brad sighed and grinned. “I really, really am sorry. That was so unlike me. I’ll prove it to you.”

“I sure hope so,” El replied and reached for the doorknob again. This time, Brad stepped to the side and let her open the door, following her out into the hallway.

Brad and El walked into the living room, and El found Max and Lucas on the other side of the room. As El started their way, Brad grabbed her arm and leaned in to her ear to tell her he was going to go outside for a cigarette. El nodded and made her way over to Max and Lucas alone. Max greeted El with a hug, and El glanced up at Lucas whose head was tilted back against the wall. He almost looked like he was dozing off.

Max started talking about how much fun this party was and that they should totally come to Tyler’s afterparty on prom night too. El was half listening as she glanced around the room looking for Mike. Had he left for the night? El was almost sure that he must have, until she saw him and Lindsey coming down the stairs. Once again, El felt her stomach sink as Mike and Lindsey descended. Mike’s eyes met El’s almost instantly, and El swore she saw guilt in them. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Lindsey.

Mike and Lindsey joined El, Max, and Lucas briefly as Mike said that they were about to leave. He told Max and Lucas goodbye, and El felt a pang of sadness when he simply smiled and nodded in her direction. She returned the gesture, nevertheless, and Mike and Lindsey walked out of the house.

“We should get going, too,” Max said. “We don’t want Lucas to fall asleep behind the wheel.” She nudged Lucas and he playfully rolled his eyes. El was thankful that Lucas had agreed to give her a ride, even though she knew she wasn’t his favorite person. She also knew that it was likely because she was tagging along with Max to Max’s house.

El agreed, and Max excused herself to use the restroom before leaving, so El was left standing awkwardly with Lucas. After a moment, Lucas excused himself for the restroom as well, and El was waiting patiently for them to return. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, wondering why Brad’s cigarette break seemed to be taking so long, as she wanted to tell him she was leaving. Then, a voice startled her out of her thoughts.

“Excuse me,” called the female voice, and El turned to her right to see Lindsey standing behind the armchair, waving in El’s direction.

“Me?” El asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion as Lindsey nodded.

“I left my clutch on the couch. Could you pass it to me?” she pointed to the small blue bag resting on the cushion of the couch. El nodded and squeezed through a couple clusters of her classmates to retrieve the clutch. 

El picked up Lindsey’s clutch and started maneuvering through the room to get to her. El’s heartbeat started increasing the closer she got to Lindsey. Did Lindsey know who she was? Was that why she had asked El specifically to get her bag? Did she leave it there on purpose so she would have a chance to corner El? El shook these crazy thoughts from her head as she reached Mike’s date and extended the clutch to her.

“Thank you so much,” Lindsey smiled as she accepted her clutch. El nodded politely and turned to walk away, but Lindsey grabbed ahold of her wrist. This was it. El turned back to face Lindsey, mentally preparing for the catfight that was surely about to go down.

“I just wanted to say that I love your dress. The color looks stunning on you,” Lindsey said sweetly.

“Oh,” El said surprised, stifling a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Lindsey smiled, releasing her hold on El’s wrist. “Have a great night.”

Lindsey turned and walked out of the house, leaving El standing in confusion, looking after her. What was that? Why did Lindsey just go out of her way to say something nice to her? Did she know who El was? Or did Lindsey think she was just complimenting a random girl’s dress? Had she meant it sarcastically and El had missed it? In the midst of running through every possibility, Max returned, followed by Lucas, and El soon followed them to the front door.

They reached the front door as Brad was coming back inside, and El told him she was heading to Max’s house. Brad nodded and made a hesitant move to offer El a hug. El nodded her approval and stepped forward, extending her arms.

“I really am sorry about earlier,” Brad said in her ear. “Can I call you tomorrow?”

El thought about it for a moment, and when she pulled back from the hug, she nodded. Brad smiled, relieved, and told the three of them to have a good night. El followed Max and Lucas outside and rode to Max’s house in silence.

The next morning, El woke up and groggily focused her eyes on a wall that was certainly not hers. She glanced around and remembered she was in Max’s room. When she turned her head to the side, she saw Max was not in the bed with her, and she wondered where her friend had gone so early. El sighed and started to sit up to go investigate, but she heard the distant sound of Max’s voice coming from what sounded like the living room. Hearing only Max’s voice, El decided she must be on the phone with Lucas or someone.

El laid back against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling, replaying much of the previous night in her head. It had been such a whirlwind of emotions. The dance, seeing Mike with Lindsey, talking to Mike on the patio, everything that happened with Brad, seeing Mike and Lindsey coming downstairs, Lindsey being so polite to her… El didn’t know what to feel. She was still somewhat upset with Brad about how he had behaved in the bedroom, and she knew that should be her primary focus, but El couldn’t help but fixate on Mike and Lindsey.

Why was she so stuck on them? She had known they had been seeing each other for weeks. She had seen them in the halls together countless times. Maybe it was because this was the first time she had actually spoken to Mike since the breakup? Maybe it was because this was the first time she had actually spoken to Lindsey in general? Maybe it was because of the look in Mike’s eyes when he met her gaze on the stairs?

El could no longer hear Max’s voice, so she assumed she was no longer on the phone. She did hear Max’s footsteps coming down the hallway, and soon the bedroom door opened and her best friend walked in.

“Rise and shine,” Max smiled, hopping on the bed as El continued to stare up at the ceiling.

“I think they had sex,” El said bluntly.

“Who?” Max asked, furrowing her brow.

“Mike and Lindsey,” El replied simply.

“El,” Max sighed and bowed her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I talked to him last night,” El said, and then clarified, “Mike.”

“Why? What did you talk about?” Max asked, and El could tell her friend was frustrated with her.

“Nothing really. Asked how he was doing, asked how Lindsey was doing,” El shrugged.

“El,” Max nearly whined. “You have got to stop worrying about Mike and Lindsey. It’s not good for you, and you’ll never move on… And why do you think they had sex?” Max couldn’t help but be curious as to what brought this assumption on.

“They were upstairs together at the party last night. When they came downstairs, her makeup looked like it had gotten messed up and she had to wipe it off,” El explained.

“That doesn’t mean they had sex. Maybe they were just making out,” Max offered.

“Mike looked guilty when he saw me,” El stated. Max pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.

“Well,” she started, “whether they did or not-”

“I know, I know. It doesn’t matter because they’re together now, and I’m seeing what’s out there and doing this for me,” El said dismissively. She sighed and stared back up at the ceiling.

“Brad and I had a fight last night,” El said, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max’s head snap up to look at her.

“What happened?!” Max asked.

“Brad saw me talking to Mike, and then he pulled me into a bedroom and tried taking things farther than I was ready to. I stopped him, and he got mad at me,” El explained. “He said that I rejected him because of Mike.” Max was silent for a moment as she studied her friend’s face.

“Well… did you reject him because of Mike?” she asked carefully.

“No. I stopped him because I wasn’t ready to take that next step with him,” El replied. “But he was such a jerk about it.”

“I’m sorry, El,” Max said, rubbing El’s shoulder. “But wait, you gave him a hug before we left the party.”

“He apologized and said that he only said it because he’s jealous of how close I was with Mike. He said he didn’t mean the things he said,” El explained.

“Do you believe him?” Max asked slowly.

“I don’t know,” El sighed. “He seemed genuine, but the things he said had to come from somewhere, right? I just… I don’t know what to think about this.”

“Personally, I don’t like that he got angry with you over sex. Whether he blames it on jealousy or not, you could be going down a dangerous road here,” Max said. “I would think long and hard before going out with him again if I were you.”

“I can’t just keep ending things with guys every time you say to,” El said quickly before she could stop herself. She bit the tip of her tongue immediately afterward and glanced over at Max whose expression was a mixture of shock and hurt.

“That’s not… I’m not suggesting that you do, El,” Max said. “I just think you should be careful.”

El laid in silence, rubbing her thumb back and forth over the hem of the blanket she was covered in while staring at the ceiling. She had one more thing to tell Max about.

“Lindsey talked to me last night,” she said.

“What?!” Max exclaimed even louder than her last outburst.

“After you went to the bathroom, Lindsey got my attention and asked me to hand her her clutch, so I did. Then she grabbed my wrist and told me she loved my dress and that the color is stunning on me,” El recalled.

“That’s it?” Max asked, and El nodded. “That’s weird.”

“I thought so too,” El agreed. “Like, what was the purpose of that?”

“Maybe she didn’t realize you were Mike’s ex, and she genuinely thought the dress was pretty?” Max suggested.

“I thought about that,” El shook her head. “But what if she knew exactly who I was, and she is trying to be extra nice to me to show that she is a good person, and then she makes me look petty for hating her now that she’s sleeping with Mike?”

“That… doesn’t make any sense,” Max said.

“Sure it does. If I don’t fawn over how sweet and perfect she is, I’m just the bitter ex-girlfriend,” El explained.

“El, I really don’t think Lindsey has some sort of conspiracy to make you look like a bitter ex,” Max said gently. “It was late, everyone had been drinking. I’m sure she just didn’t realize who you were and wanted to tell you she liked your dress.”

“Maybe,” El muttered. “Anyway, I was surprised you and Lucas were on the phone so early this morning.”

El decided to change the subject. Trying to process all the different things that had happened was making her head spin, and she couldn’t help but notice a feeling of emptiness emerging the more she thought about Mike and Lindsey.

“Oh, I wasn’t on the phone with Lucas,” Max said. “I was on the phone with Robin. She and Abby are coming to town for Thanksgiving, and they wanted to make sure we had some time to hang out with them.”

“That’s like a month away,” El said.

“Right. They wanted to let us know in advance,” Max shrugged.

‘Can’t wait to hear what wonderful relationship advice Abby has for me this time,’ El thought to herself but bit her tongue to avoid saying it. She was feeling extraordinarily bitter, and she didn’t want to cause any drama with Max.

“Are you hungry?” Max asked. As if on cue, El’s stomach growled loudly, and the two girls burst into laughter. “Well I would say so! Come on, let’s go fix some Eggos.”

El climbed out of bed and followed Max to the kitchen. Surely she would start to feel better after getting some food in her system. The bitterness she was feeling toward Max and Abby would pass, just like the emptiness growing when she thought about Mike and Lindsey. She would talk to Brad later today, and she would put their misunderstanding behind them; he had been drinking, after all. El told herself that she was just feeling off because so much had happened in such a short timeframe. Everything was going to be okay. She pulled the maple syrup down from the second shelf in the cupboard and sat down next to her best friend to enjoy their breakfast.


	10. Chapter 10

While El was having Eggos with Max, Mike was waking up on the other side of town. He still couldn’t believe everything that had happened last night. Mike had actually started a sexual relationship with someone who wasn’t El. Until last night, El was the only girl who had ever even seen his dick, let alone touch it… or do anything else with it. 

Mike rubbed his eyes and groaned as he rolled over, planting his face in his pillow. El had to have known that something happened between him and Lindsey. Mike had made direct eye contact with her as he and Lindsey came back downstairs, and there was something unmistakable about the look in El’s eyes that said she knew what he had done.

But so what? Minutes before going upstairs with Lindsey, hadn’t Mike just watched El herself disappear into a bedroom with Brad? God only knows what had happened in that room. Mike didn’t want to think about it.

He got out of bed and walked over to his full-length mirror, his bare torso reflected back at him. Mike raised his hand to his collarbone and inspected the skin around his neck for any trace of hickeys. He hadn’t thought he saw any last night when he returned home from the dance and checked in the bathroom mirror before the long, hot shower he took, but double checking never hurt anyone. The last thing he needed was embarrassing questioning from his mother.

Sure enough, Mike saw slight discoloration on the side of his neck under his left ear. He ran his fingers over it and decided that it would easily be hidden if he wore a hoodie. Problem solved.

Mike got dressed and walked downstairs to an empty living room and kitchen. He saw his mom’s neat handwriting on a piece of paper on the refrigerator, and he soon learned that she and Holly had gone to the store. Mike peaked into the living room just to confirm that his dad wasn’t sleeping in the la-z-boy, and he decided it was the perfect time to give Lindsey a call.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he would say to her, but the last thing he wanted was for Lindsey to think for a moment that Mike wasn’t going to call her again. He remembered hearing Nancy and her girl friends talking about boys not calling them or wanting to see them again, and Mike didn’t want Lindsey to feel that way. If one thing was for sure, Mike knew that he definitely wanted to see Lindsey again. He dialed her number and listened to the phone ring.

“Hello?” Lindsey’s voice answered.

“Hey, Lindsey? It’s Mike,” Mike said.

“Hey,” she smiled through the phone. “I was hoping you’d call… I kind of wanted to talk about last night.” 

“Um, sure… What, uh, part about last night?” Mike asked awkwardly, thinking he knew but not sure what she would want to discuss about it.

“I think you know what part,” Lindsey smirked.

“Oh, yeah… So are you having second thoughts about… doing that?” Mike wondered sheepishly.

“No! Of course not. I told you I wouldn’t regret anything about that,” Lindsey replied quickly. “Do you regret it?”

“No,” Mike said, relieved.

“Good,” Lindsey said happily. “But I did kind of want to talk about what it means for us.”

“What it means?” Mike repeated.

“Yeah,” Lindsey replied, and then she was silent for a bit as if she were waiting for Mike to answer. “Like, does this change things for us? I know we’ve kind of been going out for a while now, and I’m not the type of girl to pressure you to put a label on anything-”

“Oh!” Mike interjected, suddenly realizing what she was nervously rambling about. “Yeah, um, I guess I hadn’t really thought about that.”

“I mean, I don’t know about you, but that’s not something I do with people I’m just friends with,” Lindsey joked.

“Yeah, no, uh… me neither,” Mike agreed, followed by silence from both ends of the line as each of them waited for the other to speak.

Lindsey was right, Mike thought. They had been going out for a while; going on dates, hanging out at his house, going to the homecoming dance, and now they’ve started to progress physically as well. It’s true, they were practically dating anyway, they just hadn’t put an official label on what they were. And why was that? Mike knew he liked Lindsey, and he knew she liked him. What was holding him back from officially asking her out? The answer was nagging in the back of Mike’s mind, and he quickly pushed it away.

“Listen, I’m sorry I brought it up,” Lindsey said finally.

“Don’t be!” Mike said quickly. “I’m sorry that I haven’t brought it up. It’s just, like I’ve said, I care about you, and I don’t want to end up hurting you.”

“Mike,” Lindsey sighed. “It’s very sweet that you don’t want me to get hurt, but I think you’re worrying about that too much. And I think it’s because of how badly you got hurt, and you don’t want to do that to someone else. But you can’t just keep letting that keep you from truly moving on.”

“I know,” Mike agreed.

“So…?” Lindsey asked, and Mike chuckled.

“Well I’m not going to ask you to be my girlfriend over the phone,” he said. He knew there were some things that were just meant to be done in person.

“I can come over,” Lindsey teased.

“I mean, if you want to, I’m not going to stop you. The guys are coming over this afternoon,” Mike said.

“Okay, I’ll come over now and just leave when they get there,” Lindsey offered.

“Sure, okay. I’ll see you soon, then,” Mike said. He and Lindsey ended their phone call, and he set the phone down, stunned.

Fuck. She was really on her way over to his house to finish the ‘what are we’ talk. That’s not what Mike was expecting when he had called her, but he couldn’t pretend that she didn’t make some good points. But still, was he sure he wanted to be in a new relationship already? Well, he kind of already was, just without calling her his girlfriend. 

‘Calling her his girlfriend.’ Shit. How was he supposed to ask her? With El it had been easy. After kissing her again at the Snow Ball, he had asked her if she knew what boyfriends and girlfriends were, and El had said no. Mike had explained the concept of dating to her; two people who really liked each other as more than just friends, spending time together, going on dates, and agreeing not to like anyone else as more than a friend. He had only been thirteen when he explained it, so he thought he did a decent job. He must have, anyway, because when El said she understood, she had asked him if that meant she was his girlfriend, and Mike asked her if she wanted to be. Then, they were together.

With Lindsey, things were completely different. They were seventeen. They had both been in relationships in the past. He didn’t have to explain anything to her; he just had to ask her. But how? ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’ ‘I want you to be my girlfriend.’ ‘Do you want to be my girlfriend?’ It all sounds so awkward, and factoring in Mike’s natural awkwardness, he was certain this would be a trainwreck.

Mike finally quit pacing back and forth and finally took a seat on the couch in the living room and waited for Lindsey to arrive. About fifteen minutes later, she pulled into his driveway, and Mike watched out the window as she walked up the path to the front door. When she knocked, he stood from the couch and walked to the door, took in a deep breath, and opened it so they were face-to-face.

“Hey,” he smiled. Lindsey warmly returned the smile, and Mike stepped to the side so she could come in. She took off her jacket and hung it in the hall, wearing jeans and a simple green sweater. “You look nice.”

“Really?” Lindsey asked quickly, surprised because her auburn hair was not styled, just simply laying over her shoulders, and she had almost entirely skipped out on the makeup today, opting only for mascara and tinted chapstick. “Thanks, but I didn’t really do anything special.”

“You don’t have to. I like the natural look,” Mike replied, and Lindsey blushed a bit. 

Mike bit back a smirk as he thought about how a little over twelve hours ago, the girl in front of him had been practically begging to suck his cock, and now she was blushing from a simple compliment. Alcohol certainly works in mysterious ways.

“So do you want to go downstairs and talk? My mom and little sister will be back from the store soon, and they won’t interrupt us down there,” Mike offered. Lindsey nodded and followed him down the basement stairs, and they sat on the couch next to each other.

“Before you say anything,” Lindsey started quickly when Mike had opened his mouth to speak. “I just want to say that I don’t mean to pressure you into anything with me. I know things with your ex-girlfriend are making you a little hesitant, and I know you’re still working on getting over her. It’s just that we’ve been seeing each other and having a great time for a while, and I’ve been as supportive as I can, but I need to know if this thing between you and I is really going somewhere.”

“That’s fair,” Mike nodded. “I do really like you, and I really appreciate how supportive you’ve been about El- er, about my ex. You’ve been there for me when I needed to talk about it, and getting to know you has just been awesome.”

“I like you a lot too,” Lindsey assured him when he paused for a moment.

“I know it’s not fair to you to keep treating you like we’re dating without actually asking you out and still expect you to be patient about my ex-girlfriend,” Mike said.

“Well, do you think you’re ready to move on?” Lindsey asked. Mike thought for a moment about how badly El had hurt him and how much easier Lindsey had truly made the past month and a half or so since the breakup. He slowly nodded his head.

“Yeah, I think I am,” he said. “Now, I think I already know the answer to this, but you’re amazing, and… do you want to be my girlfriend?”

“I would love to,” Lindsey smiled brightly. 

Mike gently placed a hand on the side of her face and pulled her lips toward his. He was actually moving on. Lindsey was his girlfriend now, and he hadn’t felt this happy in nearly two months. Finally, something good was coming out of the pain El had put him through.

Nearly two hours later, Mike was walking Lindsey to the front door as Lucas was walking up the path to the other side of the door. Mike opened the door to let Lucas in, and Lucas stood in the foyer as Mike kissed Lindsey goodbye and told her he would see her tomorrow. When he closed the door behind her, he was met instantly with a goofy grin from Lucas.

“Well it looks like someone had a good night,” Lucas teased.

“She didn’t spend the night here. She came over this morning,” Mike clarified, leaving out the fact that he did, in fact, still have a good night.

The two of them went downstairs, and soon after, Will and Dustin arrived. Dustin plopped down on the couch and covered his face with a pillow, groaning into it while his friends laughed at him.

“How ya feeling today?” Lucas asked, intentionally louder than normal.

“Like shit,” Dustin grumbled. “I’ve never had a hangover this bad before.”

“You did take a lot of shots last night,” Lucas pointed out.

“I’m not sure when I blacked out, but I don’t even remember leaving the dance,” Dustin admitted. “I feel like I was hit by a fucking train.”

“It’ll go away. Drink some water. It’ll hydrate you, plus you’ll have something in your system when you puke,” Lucas said.

“Don’t make me think about…” Dustin trailed off and shuddered at the thought of vomiting. He quickly changed the subject.

“How was the rest of your night?” he asked.

“It was all right,” Lucas shrugged. “Went to that party and third-wheeled those two all night.” He gestured at Mike.

“That’s not true,” Mike said defensively.

“So you’re saying you weren’t cuddled up on the couch together? Or that you didn’t disappear upstairs together?” Lucas teased.

“What?!” Dustin snapped his head in Mike’s direction, immediately regretting the movement when his head throbbed in protest. Will’s eyes also shifted over to Mike whose cheeks were turning red.

“Okay, yeah… that happened,” Mike mumbled.

“And then after they were together all night, I saw her leaving here when I got here today,” Lucas continued, smirking at Mike.

“I told you, she didn’t spend the night. She came over this morning,” Mike insisted, frustrated.

“Uh huh,” Dustin teased.

“I’m serious. I called her this morning to talk about some things, and she came over to finish the talk in person,” Mike explained vaguely.

“Sure, she came over to talk,” Lucas smirked, using his fingers to add air quotes around the word ‘talk.’ Mike shot him a glare to tell him that he wasn’t appreciating the hard time his friends were giving him.

“Actually she did. We had the talk this morning about what we… are,” Mike said seriously. The other three dropped the teasing instantly and turned more serious.

“Wait, really?” Lucas asked, and Mike nodded.

“Yeah. We’ve been going out for a while now, and she wanted to know if things were really going anywhere between us,” Mike explained. “Long story short, we’re dating now. Like, officially.”

“Officially?” Will repeated. “As in, you’re actually calling her your girlfriend now?”

Mike locked eyes with his lifelong friend, knowing Will was in a difficult position being close to both him and El. Slowly, Mike nodded.

“Yeah. She’s my girlfriend now,” he confirmed. Will tried to suppress the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he thought of how El would react to the news.

“Well it’s about time,” Dustin said.

“Seriously,” Lucas agreed.

Mike let out a sigh of relief that his friends supported and accepted his new relationship. They spent the afternoon playing Nintendo, and Dustin’s hangover gradually got better with time. An hour before dinnertime, Dustin stood to tell everyone goodbye before heading home. Lucas was soon to follow, leaving only Mike and Will in his basement.

“You haven’t said much today,” Mike observed as he turned off the Nintendo and turned to face his friend.

“Not much to talk about, I guess,” Will shrugged.

“Look, I know you live with El, and I know she’s going to find out about me and Lindsey-”

“And you won’t have to be there when she does,” Will interrupted bitterly. “Best case scenario, she accepts it and moves on with Brad. Worst case scenario… I don’t even want to think about how she could react.”

“Well what did you expect me to do, Will? Just wait for her to want me again? Need I remind you that she is the one who started all of this in the first place?” Mike pointed out. He was getting frustrated.

“No, I definitely don’t need reminded. I just worry about her, you know? And it was one thing when Lindsey was just your homecoming date and you kind of liked her… But El finding out that you’re actually dating another girl? That you’re in a new relationship so fast?” Will explained. He noticed the anger quickly fill Mike’s eyes.

“I’m in a new relationship so fast?” Mike repeated. “How about El being head over heels for Brad Connor the day after she dumped me?”

“I know, I know. That was messed up,” Will agreed. “But, come on, Mike. You were so in love with El, and you’re already in another relationship not even two months later? I just don’t want El to be hurt. And I don’t want Lindsey to get hurt either, thinking she’s in a relationship that could go somewhere, just to find out one day she was only a rebound. I love you, man, but this is the kind of stuff I’m worried about.”

Mike exhaled and pondered Will’s words. He couldn’t be mad at his friend for looking out for everyone. That was just part of Will’s nature. And Mike knew that Will lived with and cared about El and that he also liked Lindsey a lot. Will was just concerned for all of his friends, and Mike could see that. But he knew Will was wrong about the outcome.

“That’s not going to happen. Lindsey is not a rebound,” Mike said calmly. “I really like her. I know it might seem like I moved on with her super fast, but she was just there for me when everything with El happened. Then I got to know her slowly and gradually, and I like spending time with her, and I want to be around her. I’m sorry if that might upset El, and I’m truly sorry you feel like you’re in the middle of this, Will, really I am. But I want to be happy again, and when I’m with Lindsey, I feel like I’m one step closer to that.”

“Okay,” Will nodded. “You’re my best friend, and if what you say is true, then I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Will,” Mike sighed.

Will soon told him goodbye for the evening and started his drive home. He replayed Mike’s words in his mind over and over, and he wanted to believe that Mike was telling the truth. Maybe Mike even believed that he was telling the truth. But Will had been best friends with Mike for twelve years at this point, and he knew Mike like the back of his hand. He knew Mike didn’t mean everything he said, even if Mike himself didn’t know it yet. Will just hoped that he realized it before anyone else got hurt.


	11. Chapter 11

El didn’t know what to expect that Monday at school. Brad had called her Sunday afternoon, and the two of them talked. He apologized yet again for his actions Saturday night, and El assured him that she forgave him and that they would be okay. But there was still something inside her that just didn’t feel right about him anymore. Sure, he was hot and relatively popular at school; she would probably be invited to more parties, and her social ranking would certainly benefit from being with him. He was funny and had a sensitive side to him, and they shared common interests.

But she still didn’t like how angry he had gotten. Brad had simply seen her talking to Mike, and he had quickly gotten possessive. And when El told him she didn’t want to have sex, Brad got angry and had blamed Mike. It could have just been the alcohol… but it also could have been indicative of Brad’s temper when he doesn’t get his way. Even if it was the former, would El be able to feel safe with someone who could turn so angry any time he drank alcohol?

Of course, she had not told Brad any of her thoughts; she simply accepted his apology and told him they would be okay. And El couldn’t talk to Will or Joyce about it. Will would just tell her that he was right all along and that Brad is nothing but bad news, and Joyce would probably look too far into the anger because of her experiences with her own ex-husband. There was always Max, but she had already gotten Max’s opinion, and at this point, El wasn’t sure how much Max’s opinion really mattered to her anymore.

As much as she tried to fight it, El couldn’t help but feel a constant bitterness toward Max boiling inside her. El knew that Max was her best friend and always had El’s best interest at heart, even if El didn’t always appreciate Max’s opinions or advice. Still, she couldn’t fight the urge to blame Max for a lot of the pain she had gone through over the past two months.

Then there was Mike. The one person that El had always been able to talk to about anything. Of course, it was impossible to talk to Mike about this. He wasn’t even an option. But, God, El missed talking to him so much. She wished so badly that they had not been interrupted that night on the patio. He had barely even spoken to her, and since then, she had been longing to hear his voice saying her name again. Maybe, now that they had their first talk since their breakup, Mike would start talking to her at school.

Monday showed her that would not be the case.

El was at Brad’s locker; his voice was drifting in and out of her ears but she wasn’t hearing his words. She kept glancing over his shoulder to where Lindsey and Mike stood down the hall at Lindsey’s locker. Mike was leaned back against the wall of lockers, talking while Lindsey pulled out the books she needed for her first couple classes of the day. She laughed at something he said, and El felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Lindsey closed her locker door, holding her books in one arm, and wrapped her other arm around Mike’s waist as she pressed against him. Mike leaned down to kiss her, and El was unable to look away, noticeably cringing when she saw his and Lindsey’s lips touch briefly.

“What’s the matter?” Brad’s concerned voice rang through, and El quickly looked up at him.

“N-nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “I was just, uh…” She saw out of the corner of her eye as Mike and Lindsey linked hands and walked down the hall in the opposite direction.

“El? Are you sure? Look, if you’re still upset with me, I understand-”

“No! Sorry, I just… I just remembered, I forgot my homework for first period, and I’ve got to go grab it. I’ll see you later,” El said and abruptly turned to walk quickly back toward her own locker.

After El had turned the corner and knew Brad could no longer see her, she ducked into the girls’ bathroom. She looked under the stall doors to make sure she was alone before going into the last stall and locking the door.

“Shit,” she whispered to herself as her eyes started to rim with tears. She ripped off a few squares of toilet paper and sat down on top of the lid, dabbing at her eyes.

What was wrong with her? She broke up with Mike nearly two months ago. She had seen him in the halls with Lindsey dozens of times, and it had never affected her like that. Why was it affecting her now? Could it be because she and Mike had finally spoken over the weekend? That couldn’t be it. She was sure she could count on two hands the number of words Mike had actually said to her at that party. And that had only been because she dragged him out there. He didn’t want to talk to her then, and she was crazy to think that he would want to talk to her now at school.

But still. El thought back to the way he had looked at her on that patio. He was going to say something before Brad came over. When it was just the two of them. Was El really stupid enough to think that Mike would have continued the conversation today? That moment, whatever it could’ve been, was long gone. 

She sniffed and ripped off a little more toilet paper to dry her cheeks of the few tears that had escaped. When El had composed herself, she picked up her books and walked out of the stall to face herself in the mirror over the sinks. Her eyes were a little pink, but she knew that would go away quickly. She grabbed a paper towel and dampened it before gently dabbing it under her eyes. The cool water felt soothing on her skin.

She knew she had to stop thinking about Mike and Lindsey. Of course she was going to see them from time to time, and of course they were going to touch each other and kiss each other… El’s stomach turned over as she thought about it. She wrung the paper towel over the sink, squeezing it until her knuckles turned white.

She couldn’t run to the bathroom every time she saw Mike and Lindsey showing affection toward each other. She had to be stronger than that. After all, she had Brad now. 

El tossed the paper towel in the trash can and picked up her books. When she pushed the door open, she nearly collided with Max.

“Sorry- hey!” Max smiled widely when she noticed it was El. El saw Max’s face drop, probably as she noticed El’s pink eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just, uh, something blew into my eye, so I had to clean it out,” El lied lamely.

“I think we need to revisit the old ‘friends don’t lie’ rule,” Max said. El bit her tongue and chuckled bitterly.

“I said I’m fine, Max. I need to get to class,” she stated before walking past Max and heading down the hall.

The rest of the week’s events went similar to Monday’s. El spent as much time with Brad as she could, hoping that engulfing herself in her new relationship would make it easier to forget her old one. It didn’t. Mike and Lindsey were still everywhere. In fact, El thought she saw them even more after homecoming than she did before. She still couldn’t help herself from sneaking glances whenever the two of them would walk by holding hands, or when Lindsey would wrap her arms around Mike’s waist to pull him into a hug, or when Mike would brush her hair back to kiss her forehead, or even when their lips would meet each other’s. Part of El wanted to complain to the principal about PDA or something, but she knew realistically that Mike and Lindsey weren’t doing anything more than what other couples in the school did, and they certainly weren’t doing anything more than what El herself and Mike had done publicly when they were together.

The only difference between Monday and the rest of the week was that El never again hid herself in the bathroom to cry over her ex. She instead chose to bite her tongue, smile, and go on with her day. 

By the time the following week started, El had completely given up hope of Mike speaking to her. As far as she had seen, he hadn’t even looked her way. Whatever progress she thought they were about to make that night on the patio was long dead. 

El was walking alongside Brad between the final two periods of the day. She needed to stop at her locker to grab her algebra book before the study hall that she shared with Dustin. Luckily, Dustin had been helping her with algebra over the past couple months, and her grade had not suffered. When they reached her locker, Brad gently swept El’s hair over her shoulder as she leaned into her locker to grab her algebra book.

“Practice was cancelled tonight,” he said casually. “I know we were going to get dinner after practice, but if you want, you can catch a ride with me instead of Will after school, and we can spend the whole evening together.”

The idea was enticing. El’s guard was nearly completely down again since the events of the homecoming afterparty. Brad had been nothing but sincere; taking her to dinner, helping her study, taking her to his favorite spot over the water. He had been the same sweet guy that he was when they first started getting to know each other, and he had not tried to push her boundaries at all since that night at Tyler’s. El knew that it had just been the alcohol, and Brad had gotten caught up in the moment. The reservations that had lingered in her mind since that night were nearly gone, and she knew that spending more and more time with him could do nothing but help push Mike and Lindsey out of her mind.

“Sure, I would like that,” El agreed.

“Great. So I was thinking we could go to my place and study for a couple of hours. Then, we could still grab dinner like we planned, and we could catch a movie afterward,” Brad suggested.

“That sounds fun,” El smiled at the date he had planned.

“Cool. I’ll meet you back here after class,” Brad said. He leaned down to give her a peck on the lips and headed off to his last class of the day.

El loaded her books into her backpack and started walking toward her study hall. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that she had time to use the restroom before the bell rang, so she turned into the bathroom and stopped dead in her tracks. She recognized in an instant the girl in front of her who was reapplying mascara in the mirror over the sink. El considered turning around and leaving. She didn’t need to pee that badly. But, that would be too obvious that she was trying to avoid her. Then again, did the girl even see her enter the bathroom? And if she did, did she recognize her?

“Hey,” Lindsey smiled, making eye contact with El through the mirror as she twisted on the cap of her mascara and dropped it into her bag.

“Oh, hi,” El replied, returning a small smile.

“It’s El, isn’t it?” Lindsey asked, turning to face her and leaning back against the sink.

“That’s right,” El said with a nod. She wanted to turn and run before she literally died from the awkwardness between them.

“It’s nice to actually meet you. Alone,” Lindsey said. She was still being nice, but the normal sweet tone in her voice was gone and replaced by something firmer… It wasn’t quite anger; it was what girls reserved for other girls when they wanted to make their point clear.

“Why did you want to meet me?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“Because it’s time that you and I have a conversation about my boyfriend,” Lindsey replied, carefully watching El’s face. She did not miss the shock in El’s widened eyes that El quickly tried to mask.

“Your b-boyfriend?” El repeated.

“You haven’t heard,” Lindsey stated. 

El’s mind became a whirlwind of questions. Was Lindsey really Mike’s girlfriend, or was she just saying that to get a reaction out of El? If it was true, when did they start dating? How long? Did the boys know? Of course they knew. Did Max? How could Max not tell her? How could Will not tell her?

“Listen, El, I don’t want there to be any bad blood between you and I,” Lindsey continued. “We share some mutual friends now, and I know you’re really important to the guys, just like you were really important to Mike. That’s why I have been as nice and patient as I can be when it comes to you.”

“I’m not going to stop being friends with them,” El asserted. “Dustin, Will, Lucas… I’ve known them since we were twelve.”

“I don’t expect you to stop being friends with them at all,” Lindsey said sincerely. “But I do expect you to leave Mike alone. You broke up with him. That was your choice. So I don’t need you eyeing us in the hallways or pulling him aside to try and talk to him.”

The realization hit El like a ton of bricks.

“Yes, I saw you and him talking outside at the party that night,” Lindsey confirmed as if she had read El’s mind.

“So, you knew who I was? Even on your way out? Do you remember talking to me?” El asked, and Lindsey nodded.

“I had been hoping that you and I could co-exist and be cordial. But I can clearly see that either you’re not over Mike or you’re having second thoughts about leaving him,” Lindsey explained. “Whatever it may be, it doesn’t matter. You made the choice to break up with him, and now you have to be an adult and respect his choice to move on.”

“You don’t know me. And you barely know him,” El said, her blood starting to boil at Lindsey’s insinuations.

“I know him better than you think I do. And I don’t need to know you. I don’t want to know you,” Lindsey replied. “I just want you to stay away from us for the rest of the school year. Then next year, Mike and I are both moving to Chicago for college, and this won’t be an issue any longer.”

El’s world came to a screeching halt as Lindsey’s words hit her. For a moment, she forgot to breathe in as her entire body turned to ice.

“Ch-Chicago?” she asked timidly.

“Oh, you haven’t heard that either,” Lindsey observed.

Faintly, El heard the bell ring throughout the hallways, and Lindsey slung her bag over her shoulder.

“I meant what I said about not wanting any hard feelings between us, El. And I really hope you can respect us enough to leave Mike alone. If not for me, for him,” Lindsey said politely. “Take care of yourself.”

El did not respond as Lindsey walked out of the bathroom. Her vision started to blur as tears quickly appeared and began to spill out. El leaned forward and clutched the edges of the sink to support herself as a sob escaped her throat. Mike had a new girlfriend. And in less than a year, he was moving with that girlfriend to Chicago. This was it; she was really losing him. Her body shook as she stood alone in the empty bathroom, letting her tears fall freely into the sink. No, she wasn’t losing him. She had already lost him. He was already gone.


	12. Chapter 12

“She was just being such… such a… a bitch,” El said, contorting her face as she said the last word.

Max’s eyes widened, hearing El swear like that. She rarely used any swear words, and Max wasn’t sure she had ever heard El refer to another girl as a bitch. 

“Telling me to stay away from Mike like she owns him or something. Or like he didn’t save my life five years ago and…” El trailed off and looked down at the ground. She knew Lindsey didn’t know those details, so she couldn’t really hold that against her.

El had just recounted the conversation that Lindsey had with her in the bathroom the previous day. El had to vent to someone about it, and she knew the boys were not an option, so after pacing back and forth in her room debating it for over an hour, El decided to swallow her bitterness and walk to Max’s house. She had no other option.

“You might not like this, but I don’t think she was really being a bitch,” Max said, voicing her first opinion since listening to El’s story.

“What?” El asked, taken aback that Max wasn’t on her side.

“I mean, it was kind of shitty for her to corner you like that, but think about it. You think you’re generally a nice person, right? You don’t think you’re a bitch?” Max asked, and El nodded in agreement. “Well when you and Mike were dating, if you viewed another girl as a potential threat to your relationship, you would’ve confronted her too, right?”

“Well… maybe,” El shrugged.

“El, you told me that you knocked me off my skateboard in the gym when we were thirteen because Mike smiled at me,” Max reminded her.

“That was different. We were thirteen, and I didn’t know much back then about normal life,” El countered.

“Regardless, I really think Lindsey was just standing up for her… relationship,” Max said gently as El cringed at the word. “She didn’t threaten you or say anything out of line.”

“But she wants me out of the picture. She told me I can still be friends with the guys but I need to leave Mike alone,” El said.

“Maybe she feels threatened because she thinks she’s a rebound,” Max offered.

“Rebound?” El repeated, scrunching her forehead in confusion at the word.

“It’s like… someone you start dating right after another relationship ends. It helps you kind of get over the person you just lost. The rebound usually never gets too serious and usually only lasts a few months at the most,” Max explained. El carefully considered her friend’s definition.

“No, I don’t think Lindsey is a rebound,” she said, shaking her head. “They are together all the time; she’s already friends with his friends; I think they’re already having sex. I think he… I think he loves her.”

“That’s crazy,” Max said softly, putting her arm around El’s shoulders as El’s eyes filled with tears. “There’s no way he knows her well enough to fall in love with her.”

“Mike said he knew he loved me within the first week we spent together,” El said quietly, blinking the tears back, hoping they wouldn’t fall.

“That was different,” Max assured her. 

Max squeezed her friend’s shoulders and felt the first traces of guilt start to creep through her body. It had been two months; El should be having the time of her life, enjoying being single. She shouldn’t still be hurting like this. But then again, El had never experienced a real breakup before. Max knew she had to get her through this.

“How are things with Brad? Still going good?” Max asked, carefully switching gears in hopes of cheering El up.

“I guess,” El shrugged and wiped her eyes. “He’s been great ever since the night of homecoming. I still went out with him yesterday after school, but I felt bad because I was so upset about what Lindsey said to me… He could tell I was distracted, but I kept saying I was fine, and he eventually stopped asking.”

“Well, maybe he-”

“I don’t want to talk about Brad right now, Max. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” El interrupted, a lump rising in her throat as the tears came back to her eyes. “Everything is just so messed up, and I didn’t know it would be this hard to be with someone else. And it’s so much harder to see Mike with someone else… and his new girlfriend hates me, and he won’t talk to me. And next summer, they’re moving to Chicago for college, and I’m never gonna see him again.”

El’s voice got higher and higher as she continued until she choked on the sob in her throat and buried her face in Max’s shoulder. Max wrapped both arms around her friend, feeling the shoulder of her sweater becoming wet with tears, and replayed El’s words in her mind with a confused look on her face.

“Chicago?” Max repeated.

“Uh huh,” El nodded.

Max rubbed El’s back gently, trying to soothe her while El started to calm down. Moving to Chicago for college? Mike had never told her that. Lucas had never told her that. Maybe things with Lindsey really were more serious than Max had realized… Still, she knew that she had supported El’s decision to break up with Mike, and she knew she had to get El through it and show her the good that was surely waiting for her. New plan.

“El, look. I haven’t exactly been the greatest friend to you over the past couple months,” Max started, and El lifted her head to give Max a confused look.

“What do you mean?” El asked. El knew she was certainly feeling bitter toward Max recently, but she didn’t know that Max had thought she had done anything wrong.

“I mean, I said I supported your decision, but then I wasn’t there for you as much as I should’ve been. I kept telling you that things would get better, but I should’ve paid closer attention to how you were really feeling all along. I had no idea things were still so bad for you. I thought by now you would be having fun with Brad and not thinking about Mike,” Max explained. “I should’ve been there for your feelings more instead of blowing them off and pushing you toward Brad Connor.”

“Thank you, but I… do like Brad, and I am having fun getting to know him,” El said.

“And that’s great,” Max smiled. “Keep going out with him and having a good time. But as your best friend, I want to make sure you do what’s best for you too.”

“What do you mean?” El asked.

“Okay, Mike is moving to Chicago for college with Lindsey. There’s nothing you can do about that. But you shouldn’t have to go to college at the school you both got into, knowing he isn’t there, knowing he’s up in Chicago with his new girl, and you’re left walking around campus feeling like he’s missing,” Max explained. “So what I think we should do is apply to Indiana State.”

“Isn’t that where Robin and Abby go?” El asked.

“Yep. They’ll be graduating soon, but we’ll probably overlap with them for a year,” Max said. “Think about it. It would be a fresh start, away from Hawkins, away from all the pain and heartbreak you’ve experienced here. It’ll be somewhere you and Mike never discussed going together, so it won’t be tainted.”

El wasn’t sure. What Max said kind of made sense, and she raised some valid points. Then again, the last time El thought Max raised some valid points in giving advice, she ended up breaking up with Mike. El hadn’t come here today for anything thought-provoking and life-changing. She came here to vent about her confrontation with Lindsey from yesterday. El still felt bitterness toward Max in the pit of her stomach, and she wondered if ‘starting over’ with Max so far away with Robin and Abby would really be the best decision or not.

“It’s not something you have to decide right now,” Max said, noticing El’s contemplation. “The application deadline isn’t until December first. Robin and Abby will be here over Thanksgiving break in a week and a half, so maybe we can talk to them about it.”

“Okay,” El nodded. It wouldn’t hurt to think about it.

The next night, everyone was over at Mike’s house. After an evening of pizza and video games, they decided to watch a movie before everyone had to go home for the night. Dustin and Will each sat on opposite ends of the couch with a bowl of popcorn in between them, Lucas and Max were cuddled up on a makeshift bed with pillows and blankets on the floor, and Mike was on the recliner with Lindsey snuggled into his side.

As the opening of Back to the Future started playing, Dustin turned out the lights to darken the basement, and Mike reached down to the floor next to the recliner to grab a blanket to cover himself and Lindsey. She pulled the blanket tightly under her chin and laid her head on Mike’s chest, gently resting her hand on his stomach.

On the floor, Max laid on her side with Lucas spooning her from behind, his arm draped over her waist, and Lucas pulled a blanket over them as well. The way Max was positioned, she could still see Mike and Lindsey out of the corner of her eye. She had been a bit more observant than normal of the two of them tonight, as her conversation with El from the previous day was still fresh in her mind, and frankly, she was curious. El seemed to think that Mike and Lindsey were moving to Chicago together and that Mike loved her. Thus far, Max had still not heard either of them mention college or Chicago, and she hadn’t heard Mike say anything about love. It’s not that she was planning on reporting anything about Mike and Lindsey back to El; in fact, Max thought the less she talked about Mike and Lindsey with El, the better. But, El was her best friend, and she was hurting. Max was curious to see just how serious Mike was about Lindsey, or if it was one-sided. She knew she wouldn’t become an expert by observing them for a few hours, but she hoped she could gain some insight. She just wanted to see something to make herself feel better about the advice she had given El, and she knew that if she could get a sense of how serious Mike was about Lindsey, she would know if she was right in deciding to get El over him and encourage her to start anew.

Max was genuinely watching the movie, subconsciously glancing from the corner of her eye over at Mike and Lindsey who also seemed to be innocently watching the movie. About halfway through the movie, Max felt Lucas’s hand begin to sneak up her shirt and cup her breast. She inhaled sharply as he lightly pinched her nipple.

“Shh,” he whispered into her ear as he nibbled at the skin on the back of her neck.

Lucas felt Max’s hips shift against his under the blanket they shared as she squeezed her thighs together tightly. He smirked as he slowly traced his hand down her body from her breast to the waistband of her track pants, feeling the goosebumps on each inch of her that he touched. As soon as Lucas’s hand dipped under the fabric of her pants, Max forgot all about the movie and about keeping an eye on Mike and Lindsey as she closed her eyes, focusing only on not making any noise.

In the recliner, Lindsey found herself getting bored of the movie, having already seen it several times. She looked up at Mike and smiled as his heavy eyelids kept trying to close, despite him continuously forcing them back open.

“What?” he whispered when he saw her grinning up at him.

“You’re cute when you’re sleepy,” Lindsey whispered back and hugged him tightly around the waist.

Mike chuckled and kissed her forehead, running his fingers through her long hair. Lindsey slid up a few inches so her face was even with his and leaned in to kiss him softly. Mike parted his lips for her tongue, and he moved his hand down to her left leg which was draped over his own legs, rubbing his hand up and down the back of her thigh. Their kiss was heating up; Lindsey’s right hand was tugging at Mike’s hair while her left hand was softly tracing back and forth below his bellybutton. Suddenly, they heard a throat clearing in annoyance, and both looked toward the couch, startled.

“Really? The movie’s over in, like, forty minutes. This can’t wait?” Dustin asked while Will shook his head in annoyance.

“Sorry,” Mike and Lindsey each whispered, and they all focused their attention back to the television.

Dustin always seemed to be the one to interrupt the makeout sessions during movie nights. Mike couldn’t help but smirk as he suddenly remembered all the times Dustin would yell or throw something at him and El to get their attention. Mike shook the memories out of his head and pulled Lindsey even closer into his side, resting his hand on her back.

About twenty minutes later, Mike felt Lindsey’s hand move slowly from his chest to the waistband of his sweatpants. She lightly ran her fingers back and forth, teasing him without slipping her hand under. When she finally did slip her fingers under the waistband of his pants, she began caressing his hardening dick through his boxers, and Mike’s eyes darted over to his friends who were all seemingly watching the movie, oblivious to what Lindsey was doing.

“Do you really want them to catch us?” Mike whispered.

“They won’t if you don’t make any noise,” Lindsey whispered back with a sly grin.

She kept rubbing him up and down through his boxers, her eyes focused in the direction of the television, but her mind strictly on what she was doing. When she felt he was completely hard, Lindsey moved her hand into his boxers and wrapped her fingers around Mike’s warm, hard cock. She felt him tense up as he stifled a moan and shifted his hips, moving his cock in her hand. 

Mike balled his free hand into a tight fist and clenched his teeth as Lindsey’s hand started moving slowly up and down his shaft. He moved his other hand down Lindsey’s back to her ass, squeezing hard whenever he had to grit his teeth to stifle another moan.

The final twenty minutes of Back to the Future were the longest twenty minutes of Mike’s life as Lindsey kept stroking his cock at a painfully slow pace, dipping lower to massage his balls every so often. She had spread his pre-cum down the sides of his penis, allowing her hand to glide smoothly and effortlessly up and down.

Finally, the torturous twenty minutes were over, and Dustin turned the lights on as the ending credits began to roll. To Mike’s relief, Dustin and Will each pulled their shoes on, planning to head home right away without wanting to hang out any longer. Lindsey hopped up from the recliner, leaving Mike alone under the blanket to hide his still throbbing erection, and she told the boys goodbye while Mike waved from his seat.

After Dustin and Will left, Lucas and Max thanked Mike for having them over and headed toward the basement door. Lucas and Max seemed just as unaware of Mike and Lindsey’s movie activities as Mike and Lindsey were of theirs.

Lindsey closed the door behind Lucas and Max, and Mike quickly tossed the blanket off of himself, the tent in his pants obvious. Lindsey grinned mischievously as she walked toward him, but she stopped at the couch and laid on her back, propping her head up on one of the cushions. She glanced from Mike’s eyes, down to his erection, and back up to his eyes, giving him an inviting look, and he quickly hopped up from the recliner and strode to the couch, shedding his shirt and stepping out of his pants in the process.

He was on top of her, hungrily kissing her neck as he pressed his hips firmly against hers. Lindsey squealed when Mike unexpectedly pressed his rock hard cock against her core. She wrapped her legs around his waist to keep his cock against her, and even through the three layers of clothes – his boxers, her pants, and her panties – she could feel him throbbing against her wet pussy. 

Mike pulled off Lindsey’s shirt and then immediately tossed away her bra, his lips drawn to her puckering nipples. She moaned and arched her back while she grabbed a handful of his hair. Mike’s hands found the waistband of her pants and started to pull them down her legs.

“You’re not wasting any time,” Lindsey breathed jokingly, and Mike looked up at her with wide eyes.

“You just teased me for like half an hour,” he exclaimed, and Lindsey giggled.

Mike buried his face in the crook of her neck, sucking her soft skin, when suddenly the basement door opened and the cold November breeze blew through the room. Mike and Lindsey jerked their heads toward the door to see Max hurrying into the room.

“I forgot my coat – oh my god!” Max raised her hand to cover her eyes as Mike scrambled to grab a blanket to pull over himself and Lindsey.

“God damn it, Max!” Mike hollered while covering up.

“We haven’t even been gone for five minutes yet, Michael,” Max scolded, facing the wall.

“Well come get your damn coat,” Mike said impatiently.

“I don’t want to walk by you guys right now. Hand it to me,” Max demanded. “No wait! Don’t touch it. I don’t know where your hands have been.”

“Make up your mind,” Mike seethed.

“Fuck it. I’ll get it tomorrow. Have a good night, and lock the door,” Max decided, hurrying back out the door and slamming it behind her.

Outside, Max let out a deep breath and leaned her back against the wall of the Wheelers’ house, rubbing her temples to try and forget the image of Mike and Lindsey that was probably just burned into her brain. She wasn’t sure when she would be able to look Mike or Lindsey in the eye again, but if one thing was for sure, Mike was more serious about Lindsey than she had thought, and she definitely felt better about the advice she had given El.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted sexual assault in this chapter.

_Mike was laying on his back in the remodeled blanket fort, his arm around El while she cuddled into his side. His hand rested on her back, and he could feel her body rise and fall with each heavy breath as her breathing tried to return to normal. Mike was out of breath, too, though. His panting was dying down, but he could still feel how hard his heart was pounding through his chest underneath El’s hand._

_He absentmindedly began tracing small circles on El’s back. Her skin was perfectly smooth and soft, albeit slightly sticky from the light coating of sweat. It was a warm day outside, and it had just been even hotter inside the blanket fort. The low rumble from the air conditioner promised that their body temperatures would return to normal soon._

_Mike’s head was still spinning as he stared at the ceiling of the fort. He never thought it was going to happen when El came over that afternoon. He hadn’t been intending for it to happen. Not yet, anyway. El had just turned sixteen a couple weeks ago, and he himself had just turned sixteen a couple months prior. They had been experimenting for over a year on the weekends and holiday breaks when they were able to see each other, and Mike knew they would go all the way eventually. At least he had hoped they would._

_El had told him last month that Joyce was moving herself, Will, and El back to Hawkins. Joyce had a job lined up and was finalizing the details on their new house. They would be moving in about a month. That month had dragged on for Mike, but finally, it was moving day. When the U-Haul showed up at the new address, everyone had been waiting in the driveway. Mike, Nancy, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and Jonathan. They got everything moved in and had started unpacking._

_That was only yesterday. This morning, El had helped Joyce unpack until noon, and Joyce gave in to her requests, though Joyce would call it begging, to go over to Mike’s house._

_Mike had fixed lunch for the two of them, and when they retreated to the basement, El confided in him for the first time about her fears of starting at Hawkins High School in August. Mike had been so excited over the past month at the thought of having his girlfriend with him every day that he hadn’t stopped to consider that El could be feeling anything other than happiness and excitement as well. It pained him to see the fear and insecurity in El’s eyes when she spoke about how different she would be from the other students and how she didn’t want to look stupid in front of her classmates and teachers. Mike had pulled her into a tight hug and reminded her how smart and brave she was, and he assured her that he would do his best to help her with her classes as much as he could._

_El had thanked him with kisses, and Mike could tell by the smile on her face that she had really started to feel better about things. Then she had asked if they could cuddle in the blanket fort. One thing led to another…_

_It was everything Mike had hoped it would be as he lay there afterward in silence holding El close to his side. Sure, she had brought him to orgasm countless times over the past year in other ways, but nothing like what he had just felt. Mike didn’t know it was possible to feel what he just felt. He looked down at El’s head resting on his chest, and if he hadn’t seen her eyelashes fluttering, he would’ve thought she had fallen asleep._

_“El?” Mike said softly, and El tilted her head up to face him._

_Her big brown doe eyes were looking up at him, and now he didn’t know what to say. Tons of thoughts were running through his mind. How was it for her? Did it really feel good? Was it how she pictured it? Did it hurt too much? Would she ever want to do it again?_

_“Um, how did… I mean, was it…” Mike stammered for a moment and sighed._

_“Mike,” El said with a smile as she brought her hand up to the side of his face. “It was perfect.”_

_“Really?” Mike asked in confusion. There is no way that could be true. He knew it had felt beyond incredible for him, but he had always heard that the first time wasn’t nearly as enjoyable for women._

_“Of course. It was perfect because it was with you,” El replied, and she couldn’t help but laugh as Mike blushed._

_“Okay. I was worried that it would hurt or something,” Mike said._

_“It did a little bit,” El said honestly. “But we have the rest of our lives, and it will only get better each time.”_

_“You’re seriously just so amazing,” Mike said. He turned on his side to face her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I love you so much.”_

_“I love you too,” El promised. “I always will.”/ ___

__Mike woke up blinking rapidly and reached his arm out next to him. He felt only the empty bed. He turned his head to his nightstand, and his heart sank when he saw it was empty. The realization floated back to him that the framed photo of him and El that was usually displayed there was currently laying facedown in the top drawer, just like it had been for two months._ _

__He rubbed his eyes and cursed his brain for having that dream. It was the second night in a row he had dreamed about El. Two nights ago when Max had barged in on him and Lindsey in the basement, the mood had been completely ruined. They had tried to laugh it off and continue, but it just didn’t happen. Lindsey had gone home soon after that, after Mike had apologized profusely and she had assured him that it was okay._ _

__That night, he had dreamed about the day that El and the Byers family moved back to Hawkins. After unloading the U-Haul, Mike and El had gone to El’s new room to unpack. They were going through the boxes and talking about different memories associated with each item they pulled out. El had gotten a little teary-eyed when she was unpacking her clothes and reached a couple of Hopper’s shirts that she had taken. Mike comforted her, and soon they were making out on her bed, their hands roaming each other’s bodies._ _

__Mike had woken up confused, wondering why this memory had invaded his dreams so suddenly after being broken up for two months. Sure, in the beginning, he had dreamt of her, but El hadn’t shown up in a dream of his in at least a month. Now, it happened again the very next night. This time, it was the day they had lost their virginities to each other._ _

__He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed, slowly making his way to the bathroom to shower while his mind continued to question his dreams. Maybe he was just hormonal and sexually frustrated? He hadn’t actually had sex in over two months, and the interruption with Lindsey the other night had been quite a disappointment. That could potentially make sense, except Mike’s dreams hadn’t actually shown anything sexual. The first dream had focused on them unpacking and him comforting El when she became upset, and the second dream was all about his feelings and their conversation after having sex for the first time._ _

__Maybe it was meant to remind him of the closeness and intimacy that he had had with El? Mike knew that Lindsey was a sweet girl, and he really cared about her. Still, El would pop into his head every now and then, but he was usually able to shake the thought away. He was certain that as time went on, memories of El would come less and less until they stopped altogether, and the feelings of love and intimacy would be able to grow with Lindsey._ _

__Mike turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower, closing his eyes. Whatever the dreams meant, he hoped they stopped soon. El was gone. The only thing keeping her in his mind was doing was keeping him from fully moving on with Lindsey, and that’s what he needed to do. Hopefully when he saw Lindsey later that afternoon, he would be able to give her the attention she deserved without his mind drifting back to the recent dreams he had of his ex-girlfriend._ _

__El woke up Saturday morning feeling anxious. The past couple of days, Max had done what she said she would do. She asked more often about El’s feelings, about how El was really doing. It was nice; El felt like her best friend was finally being there for her. She didn’t feel quite as alone. Max also had not brought up the idea of applying to Indiana State again; it looked like she was giving El some time to think it over. El was happy that Max was being the supportive friend that she had wanted her to be all along._ _

__Today, El was seeing Brad. They were going out in the afternoon, and in the evening they were coming back to her house to work on their book reports for English. El had told Max that she was going to spend the day with Brad, and Max seemed just as supportive, but with more certainty. Almost like Max knew something that El didn’t._ _

__El got out of bed and gathered some clothes to change into after showering. She stood under the hot water for longer than usual and focused on taking deep breaths. She was still anxious, and she didn’t know why, but it wouldn’t go away. She hadn’t had any nightmares, so there was no discernible reason for her to wake up like that. She thought maybe she was feeling jittery about her day with Brad, but El had spent many days with him, so why would today be any different?_ _

__It could be because El had been considering taking the next step with Brad. Not necessarily having sex, but finally going a little further than making out. El had thought a lot about Mike and Lindsey since her conversation with Max, and she had begrudgingly decided that Max was right when she told El there was nothing she could do about it. It was a hard pill to swallow, and as much as it pained El to see them together, and as angry as she was by what she still considered an ambush by Lindsey in the bathroom, El didn’t think she should spend her senior year pining after a boy who had moved on from her. So, as difficult as it was, El was going to keep trying with Brad._ _

__After she was dressed and ready for the day, El walked to the kitchen to join Joyce and Will for breakfast._ _

__“Good morning, sweetie,” Joyce smiled warmly from where she stood in front of the toaster._ _

__El returned the smile and sat at the table across from Will who was half finished with his Eggos. After living with El for three years, the Byers family has become quite accustomed to Eggos for breakfast. After a moment, Joyce set a plate with two Eggos in front of El and took a seat between the two teenagers._ _

__“I have to work late tonight. I won’t be home until around ten, so you’ll be on your own for dinner,” Joyce said as El began to drizzle syrup over her waffles._ _

__“I’m probably getting dinner with Brad tonight,” El said. “We’re hanging out this afternoon and then coming back here to work on our English papers.”_ _

__“And I have plans too. We’ll be fine,” Will agreed._ _

__“What are your plans? Staying over at Mike’s tonight?” Joyce asked._ _

__“No, I think he’s got plans or something tonight,” Will shook his head. “I’m going to a movie tonight.”_ _

__“With Dustin? Lucas?” Joyce pressed casually._ _

__“No, um, actually I’m going with this girl Jessica,” Will revealed before turning to El. “You remember my homecoming date? She’s in a couple of my classes, and she’s pretty cool.”_ _

__“You’re going on a date tonight?! And I have to work late?!” Joyce exclaimed._ _

__“Mom! It’s not a big deal,” Will insisted. “We’re just hanging out and seeing a movie.”_ _

__“It most certainly is a big deal,” Joyce countered. “My baby boy who said he would never fall in love-”_ _

__“Mom! Don’t make me regret telling you,” Will said sharply, blushing slightly._ _

__“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Joyce said, raising her hands in surrender. “I’ll be cool. Just… be safe-”_ _

__“Mom!”_ _

__“-and call me if you need anything-”_ _

__“Mom!”_ _

__“Okay!” Joyce finally gave up and glanced at her watch. “I’d better get going. You two both have a good day, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”_ _

__Joyce hugged the two teenagers and grabbed her purse and keys before heading out the door. When the front door had closed, Will looked at El who was unable to contain the wide grin on her face._ _

__“Do you see why I don’t tell her things?” Will said, gesturing toward the front door. “Did she react that way when you first told her about Brad?”_ _

__“No,” El replied. “But that could be because I was with Mike for so long, so me dating wasn’t really a new concept… Or, it could be because you’re her baby boy.”_ _

__“Shut up,” Will muttered, blushing as El laughed._ _

__Will was glad to see El happy, even if it was at his own expense. There had been a lot of tension between them over the last couple months because of her breaking up with Mike and because of Will’s feelings about Brad. Today, in this moment, Will felt like things were back to normal between himself and El. It felt like the old times when their sibling bond was fresh and their friendship had barely encountered any damage._ _

__“Well, just be careful. Isn’t that what you tell me all the time?” El said, walking her plate to the sink._ _

__“I will be,” Will replied, not acknowledging that the reason he always insisted that she be careful with Brad was very different._ _

__Brad picked El up a couple hours later, saying he had the whole afternoon planned for them. He started by driving them to a diner in town for lunch. She sat across from him in the booth as they ate their sandwiches. Brad was talking about his family’s plans for Thanksgiving which was coming up, sharing how his dad prepares the turkey in a deep fryer instead of the oven, and the card games his family plays around the table after dinner, and how his whole family including his aunts, uncles, and cousins always draw their names for the Secret Santa gift exchange that evening._ _

__“What about you? Do you and the Byers’ do anything cool on Thanksgiving?” Brad asked._ _

__El thought of the few Thanksgivings she had experienced over the years. Her first and only Thanksgiving with Hopper had been spent at the cabin, just the two of them. He had gotten what he called a small turkey, though El remembered staring at the ten-pound bird in awe, and they had eaten leftovers for a week. The next Thanksgiving was her first one with the Byers family. Mike and Nancy had come to visit, and Joyce had cooked a dinner similar to what Hopper had prepared the previous year, but with more side dishes. The next Thanksgiving, El had caught a ride with Jonathan down to Hawkins and spent it with Mike. Mrs. Wheeler had made more food than El could ever imagine would be eaten. And last Thanksgiving, it was the first year that she and the Byers family lived in Hawkins again. Joyce had hosted the whole party. They had the traditional Thanksgiving feast, and afterward they watched A Christmas Story while decorating the Byers’ Christmas tree._ _

__Of El’s seventeen years of life, Thanksgiving of 1988 was only going to be her fifth year celebrating, or even knowing about, the holiday. And each of the four Thanksgivings she had experienced had been different. The only constant seemed to be the turkey._ _

__“Um, it’s usually just a small family dinner. I think we’ll put up the Christmas tree afterward again,” El replied. She couldn’t complicate things with the truth about her inexperience with Thanksgiving._ _

__“That sounds fun,” Brad said. “Who knows, maybe next year you can spend Thanksgiving with my family, or I can spend it with yours, and we can share each other’s traditions.”_ _

__El wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that suggestion, so she simply offered a warm smile, which Brad reciprocated._ _

__When they finished their lunch, Brad drove them downtown where he parked in front of the frozen yogurt shop. El momentarily questioned getting the frozen dessert in mid-November, but it wasn’t too cold out, and after all, she did like frozen yogurt. They walked inside and each ordered their flavor, took their cones, and headed back outside. Brad and El walked slowly down the sidewalk, glancing through the windows of the locally owned shops that remained downtown. Downtown had taken a hit when the Starcourt Mall opened, but after it “burned down,” no mall was rebuilt in Hawkins, so downtown was seeing more traffic again._ _

__“How’s your frozen yogurt?” Brad asked, looking at El’s half-eaten peanut butter dessert._ _

__“It’s really good. Thank you,” she smiled, thanking him again for the treat._ _

__“Do you like snickerdoodles?”_ _

__El scrunched her forehead in confusion. She didn’t know what snickerdoodles were. She had never heard the word before._ _

__“I’ve… never had them,” she said, figuring that if her friends hadn’t given her one in the last five years, it wouldn’t be too unbelievable._ _

__“They’re one of my favorite cookies, and this place in town is the only yogurt shop I’ve ever been to with snickerdoodle flavored frozen yogurt,” Brad marveled. “Here, try it and see if you like it.”_ _

__He handed his cone over to El, and El took it from him and inspected it. It looked like vanilla ice cream with brown specks all throughout it, and it smelled of cinnamon. Brad watched as El raised it to her lips and licked the frozen yogurt._ _

__“Wow, that’s really good,” El exclaimed, handing the cone back to him._ _

__“Isn’t it? We’ll have to make some snickerdoodles before Christmas,” Brad said._ _

__El noticed that Brad had just made another comment about future activities for the two of them. First the comment about spending next Thanksgiving with each other’s families, and now the comment about baking cookies together before Christmas. He had been working little comments in throughout the day, and El couldn’t remember him really doing that before. She smiled, thinking the gesture was sweet, and thought that opening up and progressing their relationship a bit may be easier than she had thought._ _

__They walked to the end of the block and turned left, walking another block as they ate their dessert and talked. Right as El was putting the last bite of her cone into her mouth, Brad stopped in front of their destination._ _

__“We’re here,” he said._ _

__El looked up and saw they were standing in front of the ice skating rink. She had been ice skating a few times; the first time had been just she and Mike when Mike taught her how. The party had gone together a few times in the past couple years, and El thought she had picked up on it pretty well._ _

__They walked inside and got their skates, and a few minutes later, they were stepping onto the ice. Brad reached for El’s hand, and they slowly started their first lap around the rink. For over an hour, the two of them circled the skating rink, hand in hand. When El started to pull ahead a little bit, Brad jokingly asked if she was challenging him to a race. She playfully shrugged before dropping his hand and taking off down the ice._ _

__“Gotcha!” Brad exclaimed when he caught up to El, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind her._ _

__El squealed in surprise and laughed as Brad’s grip tightened around her. She spun around in his hold to face him, but her footing slipped, and she fell backward onto the ice, pulling Brad down with her._ _

__“Sorry! I’m s-sor…” El trailed off when her eyes met Brad’s while he hovered over her on the ice._ _

__He was looking down at her intensely with something embedded deep in his gaze. Lust? Infatuation? El didn’t have time to place it before Brad sat back on his knees and rose to his feet. He offered her his hands and pulled her up as well._ _

__“You okay?” Brad asked._ _

__“Y-yeah,” El replied, diverting her eyes from his as she noticed her anxiousness from the morning was stirring again._ _

__“Come on, let’s head out,” Brad suggested._ _

__Three hours later, Brad and El were sitting at the Byers’ kitchen table with their textbooks and notebooks spread out in front of them. El was skimming through some pages with a highlighter in hand, and Brad was watching her intently over the cover of his own book. She was so confusing. It was almost hot and cold from her today. She was sweet and friendly at lunch, and she was almost flirty when they got frozen yogurt. After all, she had licked from his cone when he offered it to her, and she had reacted well when he suggested Christmas activities later on. At the skating rink, she had flirted with him, held his hand, teasingly challenged him to a race, and it seemed like she was having the time of her life when he wrapped her up from behind… but after she slipped and he fell on top of her, things had changed. It was almost like the progress he had made with her was backtracking, and El had acted almost shy after leaving the skating rink. She hadn’t spoken much on the walk back to his car, and he had to try harder than usual for conversation over dinner. Now as they sat working on their book reports, El had barely made eye contact with him. Was she embarrassed about what happened at the skating rink? Or was she finally ready for more between them, and she was timidly hoping he would pick up on it and make the first move? Was she playing hard to get? He had to find out._ _

__“Is Will not home tonight?” Brad asked, glancing down the hallway._ _

__“He’s seeing a movie. He’ll probably be home within the hour,” El replied, glancing up from her work._ _

__“Well, if he’s going to be home soon, maybe we should move our stuff to your room,” Brad suggested. He saw El scrunch her forehead in confusion, so he clarified. “You know, so we can stay focused on our reports and he can do whatever he wants in the common area.”_ _

__He did kind of have a point, El thought to herself. Plus, El knew Will wasn’t the biggest fan of the idea of her with Brad, so she thought that avoiding the two of them interacting would be better for everyone._ _

__Brad cringed internally at the explanation he had given. Letting Will do whatever he wants in the common area? Brad knew that was lame. Surely, El would see through him. So, if she said no and decided to stay in the kitchen, Brad would know she wasn’t on the same page as him. But, if she said yes and agreed to move to her bedroom… that would be the green light, right? Brad felt his hopes rising as he saw the expression on El’s face soften and she started to nod._ _

__“Sure, we can move to my room,” she agreed._ _

__Brad quickly stacked their books together and carried them down the hall behind El as she led the two of them to her room._ _

__Fifteen minutes had passed, and El had not looked up from her book. Brad was sitting next to her on her bed, both of them with their backs leaned against the wall. He had his own book in his lap, but his mind had never been further from his homework. Was El still waiting for him to initiate? He thought suggesting they move to her bedroom had been making the first move, and he had hoped that once they were in here, El would be the one to make the next move. Was she really this shy?_ _

__“What do you say we take a little break?” Brad suggested, slowly closing the book El was holding and laying it, along with his, on the nightstand._ _

__“Okay,” El agreed hesitantly. She could already feel her heartrate increasing, and she wasn’t quite sure why._ _

__“I had a really great time with you today,” Brad said, draping his arm around El’s shoulders and scooting closer to her._ _

__“I had a great time, too,” El smiled. She swore that her heart was going to pound quite literally out of her chest at any moment._ _

__“I don’t know if I told you, but you look beautiful today,” Brad murmured. El felt the words catch in her throat as she realized how close his face had gotten to hers._ _

__Brad raised his hand to the side of El’s face and gently caressed her cheek as he closed the gap between their mouths. The kiss was normal at first, but within moments, Brad’s lips were attacking hers, his tongue prying through her slightly parted lips and into her mouth. El opened her eyes in surprise by how passionate he was being. She thought about pulling back, but she was reminded of her plan to take things with Brad to the next level. She wrapped her arms around his neck, encouraging him to continue._ _

__Slowly, Brad began to inch his hand toward El’s thigh, resting it motionlessly to test the waters. When she didn’t move his hand away, he started rubbing his hand up and down her thigh, and when he felt El tense up, he opened his eyes a bit. Brad saw that El’s eyes were still closed, her lips still reciprocating his kiss, and she made no move to pull away. He knew she wanted him to continue._ _

__Brad leaned forward against El to help lay her down so he was positioned on top of her. He moved his hand around to the back of her thigh and slid it up to grip her ass while he traced his kisses from her lips to her neck._ _

__Beneath him, El’s heart was still pounding in her chest. She tried to calm herself by focusing on taking steady breaths through her nose, but all she seemed to be able to focus on was Brad on top of her. He was kissing her neck, which was something that always drove El wild in the past, but instead of passion and excitement, all El was feeling was anxiety and discomfort. She thought she would be ready for this. She thought this would be okay. But it wasn’t._ _

__Brad started to unbutton her pants, and El instinctively squeezed her thighs together and grabbed his wrist to pull his hand away._ _

__“You don’t have to play hard to get anymore,” Brad rumbled against El’s neck. “I know you’ve been wanting this.”_ _

__El’s entire body turned to ice as Brad pulled his hand out of El’s grasp and pulled down her zipper. She shuddered when she felt him press his hips firmly against hers, and suddenly she was repulsed. She wasn’t ready for this. She didn’t want this. This was wrong._ _

__“Stop it. I don’t want to do this,” El said, lifting her hand to push up on Brad’s shoulder._ _

__Brad grabbed her hand and pinned it on the mattress next to her head and trailed his kisses down her collarbone to the top of her cleavage._ _

__“Yes you do. You know you do. You practically asked me for it,” Brad growled._ _

__He moved his free hand to El’s unfastened pants and started to shimmy them down her legs, despite her free hand trying to smack his hand away._ _

__“No, stop it,” she demanded._ _

__Her world started to close in, and her breathing became shorter. El suddenly became aware of how heavy Brad was on top of her and how strong he was as her pinned wrist struggled against his hold. She felt tears start to fill her eyes, and then the best advice Max had ever given her rang in her ears._ _

__I guess it’s a good thing you have superpowers._ _

__“I said STOP!” El screamed, and in an instant, Brad’s body was ripped off of her own and he tumbled onto his back on the floor just two feet from the bed._ _

__“What the fuck?!” Brad exclaimed as he sat up and glared over at El. “Did you have to push me off the fucking bed like that?!”_ _

__The tears had started spilling out of El’s eyes, and she reached down to button and zip her pants with trembling hands. She sat on her bed with her back against the wall and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs as Brad stood up, his eyes filled with fury and locked on her._ _

__“Are you gonna speak?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!” he spat._ _

__“I… I t-told you. I told you to stop,” El managed._ _

__“You’re nothing but a fucking tease. Fuck you, El,” Brad said venomously._ _

__He took two large strides toward her bedroom door and flung it open so hard that the doorknob chipped the wall. A moment later, El heard the front door slam shut as well, and she released the sob she was holding in._ _

__Instantly, Will was in her doorway, having gotten home from the movie just in time to hear El screaming at Brad as she knocked him off of herself. Terror was plastered on his face at the sight of El curled up, hugging her knees, her body shaking with sobs. He ran to the edge of her bed and knelt in front of her._ _

__“El! El, what happened?” Will asked urgently._ _

__He reached a hand out to place on El’s knee, but she jerked away from his touch._ _

__“El?” Will repeated._ _

__She couldn’t speak. El was sobbing so hard she was choking on her saliva and tears, and Will was scared she would soon make herself sick. He stood up and ran a hand through his hair, frantically wondering what to do. His mom still wouldn’t be home for a bit, and El wouldn’t talk to him._ _

__Will pursed his lips when the answer came to him. He knew there was only one person who would be able to help. Will sighed and hoped that Mike would be able to understand that, even after everything that has gone on between him and El, he was still the only choice. El’s face was buried in her arms which rested on her knees when Will hurried from her bedroom to the phone in the living room._ _

__Across town, Mike was in his bedroom with Lindsey. They had spent the afternoon with a couple of her friends, and they were finally alone for the first time all day. Mike was looking forward to putting on a movie and cuddling up with Lindsey for the next couple hours, but he was soon interrupted by his mom who knocked on his bedroom door and opened it a couple inches._ _

__“Mike, Will is on the phone for you,” Karen said._ _

__“Can you just tell him I’ll call him tomorrow?” Mike asked._ _

__“I would, honey, but he said it’s really important that he talks to you right now,” Karen explained._ _

__Mike sighed in annoyance and looked back at Lindsey who was propped against his headboard, ready to start the movie._ _

__“I’ll be back in, like, two minutes,” Mike said apologetically, and Lindsey nodded with a small smile. He hurried into the hall, pulled his bedroom door shut behind him, and picked up the phone._ _

__“Okay, Will, you’ve got two minutes. What is so important?” Mike asked into the receiver._ _

__“Mike, I need your help. It’s El,” Will’s panicked voice said through the phone._ _

__Chills shot through Mike’s body at the sound of Will’s tone. What was wrong with El? It was too early for her to have a nightmare. Did something trigger a memory of Hopper? Or the lab? Or Brenner?_ _

__“Mike, I don’t know what to do,” Will urged after a moment of Mike’s silence. Mike glanced at his closed bedroom door._ _

__“What happened?” he asked quietly._ _

__“I don’t know. All I know is Brad was over here, I heard a bunch of screaming, he stormed out of the house, and now El is curled up sobbing in her room and won’t talk to me,” Will explained._ _

__“Son of a bitch,” Mike muttered under his breath._ _

__“What?” Will asked._ _

__“I just… What do you want me to do?” Mike asked._ _

__“I need you to come over. Mike, I need you to help her with whatever is happening right now,” Will said bluntly._ _

__Mike exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, shooting another glance at his closed bedroom door. He was gripping the phone so hard his knuckles were white, and his stomach had been doing somersaults since the moment Will had said ‘It’s El.’_ _

__He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What was he supposed to say? ‘She doesn’t want me there’? ‘You can’t call me about El’s problems’? ‘I don’t care anymore’? Mike knew that wasn’t true, and Will would too._ _

__“Mike, please. I wouldn’t be asking this of you if I had any other choice,” Will pleaded._ _

__“I know,” Mike sighed. “And of course I’ll help. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”_ _

__Mike hung up the phone and hurried back to his bedroom door. He took a deep breath before going inside._ _

__“Is everything okay?” Lindsey asked, giving him a concerned look from her place on his bed._ _

__“Uh, no, actually,” Mike said honestly. He walked toward the bed, and Lindsey stood up and reached for his hand._ _

__“What is it?” she asked._ _

__“I, uh, need to go to Will’s. He needs my help with something,” Mike said._ _

__“This late on a Saturday?” Lindsey asked, furrowing her brow in confusion._ _

__“Yeah,” Mike nodded. “I’m sorry, Linds. I promise, I’ll make it up to you, but I’ve really got to go.”_ _

__Lindsey had quickly gathered her things, and she and Mike stepped onto the Wheelers’ driveway. Originally, Mike was going to pick Lindsey up before their plans that afternoon, but Lindsey had ended up needing to run an errand and had just driven herself to Mike’s house. Turns out, Mike was lucky she had done that, so he didn’t have to take her home before going to see what was wrong with El._ _

__“I promise, I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks for understanding,” Mike said quickly. He leaned down to kiss Lindsey on the cheek and started to walk past her to his own car when she grabbed his hand to stop him._ _

__“Mike,” she said seriously. Mike looked at her, hoping he seemed more patient than he felt. “I just need to know… Is it really Will who needs you to come over… or is it El?”_ _

__Mike felt chills run down his spine at Lindsey’s question, and he looked down at the ground between them. Technically, it had been Will who called him asking him to come over, so it’s not like he was lying._ _

__“It’s Will, I swear,” he replied._ _

__Mike gave Lindsey a hug before she got into her car and he got into his. He tried to ignore the guilt he was feeling in the pit of his stomach as he quickly made his way through town, going through any and every possibility of what could be wrong with El, and what that Brad bastard could’ve done to her._ _

__When he got to the Byers’ house, Will was waiting for him on the front porch. Mike hurried to his friend from the driveway, and Will instantly started trying to apologize for calling him and saying that he didn’t know what else to do. Mike brushed past him and hurried into the house and down the hall where he stopped and stood outside El’s door. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever was on the other side of the door._ _

__Mike knocked lightly on El’s bedroom door and listened for a response. He heard the sounds of muffled crying, but nothing more. He knocked again._ _

__“El? Open up, it’s me,” he called gently. A moment later, he heard the door unlock and saw it open to reveal El sitting, still with her knees pulled to her chest, with her face red and tearstained and her eyes swollen._ _

__Mike slowly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He stood silently in the bedroom he had been in hundreds of times while El sat quietly on the bed they had made love in hundreds of times. Where they had laid and talked about each other’s day, talked about the future, talked about their friends and families, talked about going to college. It was where they shared thousands of ‘I love you’s. And it was where El told him that they should take time to see other people._ _

__“Mike,” El’s timid voice croaked, bringing him out of his own thoughts. “I know that you hate me… But could you just hold me for a while? Please?”_ _

__El’s words stung when they reached him, but Mike didn’t say anything in return. He walked over to her bedside and sat in the spot next to her, wrapping both of his arms around her as El collapsed against him, burying her face in his chest. He hugged her as her small frame shook against him, and he rubbed her back to comfort her._ _

__“I don’t hate you, El,” she heard him whisper._ _

__She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter as more tears snuck out. As hurt as she was, sitting right here in Mike’s arms was the most at home she had felt in two months. She melted into him, and he held her closely, rubbing her back, no questions asked. Because that’s who he was. He was the only person who was there for her through everything. From the moment he found her in the woods, to Hopper dying, to learning to deal with bullies, and everything in between, Mike was her rock through everything. And here he was, coming through for her again. Even though she hurt him. Even though she didn’t deserve it. He was here._ _

__“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Mike asked gently when he felt that El had calmed down and her breathing had returned to normal._ _

__“Will was right about Brad,” El said quietly, not lifting her head from its resting place on Mike’s chest. “He kept trying to have sex with me… and I kept telling him no. In his car… after homecoming. Well tonight, he got on top of me, and he… he w-wouldn’t stop.”_ _

__Mike squeezed her tightly against him as tears started to slip down El’s cheeks again. He clenched his teeth tightly together to keep himself from calling Brad every name he could think of._ _

__“I t-told him n-no… He said I was… a-asking for it,” El continued, hiccupping through her tears. “He wouldn’t stop… so I… I threw him off me with my p-powers.”_ _

__Mike’s blood was boiling._ _

__“El, I’m so sorry he did that to you,” he said as steadily as he could, stroking her hair. “Nobody deserves to be treated that way.”_ _

__“He thought I just pushed him hard,” El explained so Mike wouldn’t worry about someone finding out about her powers. “And he was so mad. He started screaming at me and called me a tease.”_ _

__“Well he can go to hell,” Mike said, still absentmindedly stroking her hair._ _

__El was silent after that, just laying against Mike, breathing in the familiar scent that she would’ve recognized anywhere, even after being apart for two months. Eventually, she drifted off, listening to his heartbeat and slightly rising and falling with each breath he took._ _

__Two hours later, Mike’s eyes slowly opened, and he realized he must have dozed off. He glanced at the clock on El’s nightstand before looking down at the girl who was sleeping on him. Mike carefully shifted her from himself to the pillows behind them and draped her blanket over her body. As he was quietly walking toward her bedroom door to leave, he heard her timid voice behind him._ _

__“Stay with me tonight?”_ _

__Mike froze where he stood. Her voice was so vulnerable, and the question pulled at Mike’s heart. He turned around to see El propped up on one elbow, looking at him with her big brown eyes. She made him want to say yes. She made him want to crawl into that bed with her and hold her against him until all her pain was gone._ _

__“You know I can’t do that,” he said gently. El nodded, a sad look on her face, and sat up cross-legged on the bed facing him._ _

__“I understand,” she said quietly. Mike turned to leave when El stopped him again. “Mike?”_ _

__“Yeah?” he asked, turning to face her again. There was a long silence before El asked the question that had been on her mind._ _

__“Are you sleeping with her?” she asked._ _

__Mike was taken aback, his mouth dropping open when the words left El’s mouth. What was he supposed to say to that? No, he wasn’t actually having sex with Lindsey. He had done nearly everything else with her, but for some reason he just hadn’t fully crossed that line with her. It was the truth, but what good would it do to tell El? Especially when she was in as vulnerable of a state as she was tonight._ _

__“I… um… El, I don’t think we should talk about that,” he stammered._ _

__“So that’s a yes,” El muttered. She looked him straight in the eyes and spoke again before he could say anything. “Do you love her?”_ _

__“El, come on,” Mike sighed._ _

__“It’s a simple question, Mike. Do you love her or not? You’re already sleeping with her,” El said._ _

__“Love and sex are two different things, El,” Mike said._ _

__She gaped at him, her eyes filled with pain. Did he really think that? Could he really separate love and sex so easily?_ _

__“I should go,” Mike said finally, and El nodded. “I’m glad you’re okay.”_ _

__He turned and left before El could thank him for coming over or even say goodbye. She laid back in her bed; the spot beside her was still warm from where Mike had spent the last couple hours holding her, just like old times. She pulled her blanket tightly around her and squeezed her eyes shut, only to be met with a long, sleepless night._ _


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, El wandered slowly down the hallway to find Will sitting on the couch watching tv. When he heard her come in, he looked up and patted the couch cushion next to him, inviting her to have a seat.

“Good morning,” he greeted. El offered a small smile in return as she sat next to him and pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch to wrap herself in.

“I won’t ask about anything that happened last night, but are you okay?” Will asked.

El smiled at the genuine concern her adoptive brother was showing for her. He had run to her side immediately and tried to check on her, and when he realized he wouldn’t be able to do anything for her himself, he had known exactly what to do.

“Yes, I’ll be okay,” El replied softly. “And thank you for taking care of me. I know getting Mike to come over for me probably wasn’t the easiest thing.”

“It actually didn’t take a lot of convincing,” Will said. “When he heard that you were in trouble and needed him, he pretty much came right over.”

El pulled the blanket closer to her body and felt her heart warm at Will’s words. Mike hadn’t put up a fight. Even with a new girlfriend and two months apart, he was still willing to drop whatever he was doing to come be with El when she needed him.

“Breakfast is ready!” Joyce called from the kitchen.

El and Will joined their mom in the kitchen, and El sat in front of her plate of scrambled eggs and sausage links. The pleasant aroma filled her nostrils, and she felt her stomach growl, but even though she was physically hungry, she mentally felt like she couldn’t eat. Her mind kept replaying the events from last night. She could still feel Brad’s weight on top of her, his slimy tongue on her neck, and his rough hands pawing at her while she swatted him away. The memory made her sick to her stomach.

“So, tell me about your night. Will, how was your date? Will this Jessica be coming around?” Joyce gushed, her smile widening as Will’s cheeks blushed.

“My night was fine. We grabbed some dinner, saw the movie, and then I came home. Nothing spectacular, but I had a good time,” Will replied.

“That’s great, honey. I hope to see her around,” Joyce beamed before turning her attention to El. “And how was your day? Did you have a good time with Brad?”

“We, um…” El trailed off. 

She felt him on top of her again. I know you’ve been wanting this… You practically asked me for it. His words echoed in her mind. El could even smell the mixture of his shampoo and cologne, and she felt a wave of nausea sweep over her body.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled just above a whisper before standing from the table and hurrying down the hall.

“Eleven?” Joyce called after her, her eyes widened in concern. She turned back to Will. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Well, let’s just say I don’t think we’ll be seeing Brad around anymore,” Will said vaguely.

“No, let’s say more than that. What the hell happened?” Joyce asked worriedly.

“I don’t know, Mom,” Will sighed. “When I got home last night, I heard a bunch of screaming from El’s room. Before I knew it, Brad stormed by and left, and El was curled up sobbing on her bed. She wouldn’t talk to me or let me touch her… It was terrifying. I mean, eventually Mike was able to calm her down-”

“Mike was here, too?” Joyce asked, scrunching her forehead.

“I didn’t know what else to do, so I called him, and he came over. He went into her room and left a few hours later,” Will explained. “That’s all I know. I told El I didn’t expect her to tell me anything, and I haven’t talked to Mike yet.”

“I wish you would’ve called me at work,” Joyce stated. “I would’ve come home-”

“Mom, I don’t think there’s anything you could’ve done,” Will interrupted. Joyce nodded, knowing he was right.

“I’m going to go see if she’s okay,” Joyce said after a few minutes had passed since El excused herself.

Joyce walked down the hall and tapped on El’s bedroom door. El didn’t respond, but Joyce heard the soft sound of sniffing, so she pushed the door open to see El sitting on the edge of her bed, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

“El, sweetie, do you want to talk about what happened?” Joyce offered gently as she closed the door behind her.

El sniffled again and tossed the tissue into the trashcan next to her desk. Joyce crossed the room and sat next to El on the edge of her bed, waiting patiently for her to speak.

“We, um… w-we had a n-nice afternoon,” El began shakily. “But th-then, he asked to g-go to m-my room.”

“Take your time, sweetie,” Joyce encouraged her, rubbing El’s shoulder.

“He tried to… have sex with me. I told him I d-didn’t want to… but he s-said he knew I wanted it,” El continued. “He s-said I was asking for it.”

El felt Joyce’s grip tighten on her shoulder.

“I used my powers to knock him off me,” El explained, and she felt Joyce’s grip loosen as she breathed a small sigh of relief. “He screamed at me, and then he left.”

“Oh, El, are you okay?” Joyce asked gently, pulling her into a tight hug.

“I don’t know,” El whimpered, leaning her head on Joyce’s shoulder. “I can’t stop thinking about it… like, w-what if… my powers had never come back? I wouldn’t have been able to stop him… How many other girls are going to be in danger because they don’t have the power to stop him like I do?”

“Honey, you can’t think about the ‘what-ifs’. You’ll drive yourself crazy. You just have to be thankful that you do have the gift of your powers so you were able to protect yourself from a much worse situation,” Joyce said, softly stroking El’s hair.

“And then I think… I think about what he said… that I was asking for it,” El said softly, tears rimming her eyes again. “Was I? D-did I do something that m-made him think-”

“No, El, no you didn’t,” Joyce said firmly. “It doesn’t matter what you two did yesterday or if you were flirting with him or anything else. What matters is that you told him to stop, and he didn’t. That is not your fault.” 

El nodded her head against Joyce’s shoulder, and the two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, Joyce holding El tightly and stroking her hair.

“Mike came over,” El added quietly. “Will called him.”

Joyce nodded. Of course, Will had already told her that part, but she wanted to hear from Eleven’s perspective.

“Was he able to make you feel better?” Joyce asked, and El nodded again.

“He always does,” she squeaked, just above a whisper, as more tears started to fall. “H-he just told me that I didn’t deserve what Brad did… and that Brad can go to hell.”

“Well, he’s right. You didn’t deserve that, but you’re going to get through this,” Joyce said. “You are such a strong young woman, and you have a huge support system. I’ll do anything I can do to help you, El.”

“I think I’ll be okay…” El said softly. 

She didn’t want to think about the nightmares that could come. Mike had always helped her through those in the past, and she had been proud of not having one in a whole year. 

“It’s just… he’s in my English class. I th-think about s-seeing him at school and-” El’s voice broke. “How am I supposed to see him every day? And feel his eyes on the back of my head in class?”

“I’ll call the school first thing in the morning,” Joyce said quickly. “I’ll explain to them that you need transferred into a different English class, and that you won’t be in school this week.”

“Wait, what?” El looked up at Joyce, furrowing her brow.

“It’s the last week before Thanksgiving break, anyway. You won’t be missing much, and I’ll have it arranged for your homework to be sent home daily with Will,” Joyce explained. “I’ll explain the situation to the school, using as little detail as possible, and it will give them the whole week to make arrangements so that when you go back to school after Thanksgiving break, you won’t have to worry about having class with Brad.”

“You would really do that for me?” El asked softly.

“Of course, honey,” Joyce replied, her heart clenching at the gratitude in El’s eyes. “What you went through is a big deal, and I want you to have time to fully recover before you have to worry about school.”

El couldn’t help but smile. Joyce had taken on the role of her mother after Hopper had passed away, but this was the first time that El truly felt the weight of the love that Joyce had for her. She almost started to cry again when she thought about how seriously Joyce was taking protecting her, but she simply wrapped her arms around the woman and hugged her tightly, thanking her silently.

While El was filling Joyce in on what had happened the previous night, Mike was battling his own thoughts around what to tell Lindsey. He had promised he would call her today, and he knew she was going to ask about last night. Of course she would ask; why wouldn’t she? Mike knew he could make something up and say that Will wanted his help on something for school or that he wanted to plan a D&D campaign like old times since they hadn’t played in well over a year. After all, was Lindsey really going to check Mike’s story with Will?

No, he couldn’t do that. Lying about it would only make things worse. Mike knew he would just have to tell Lindsey the truth about why he had to go to Will’s house last night. It was for El. She was not going to like that.

Mike had been pacing back and forth in the basement, and he decided it was time to rip the band-aid off and call Lindsey. He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and dialed her number. After a couple rings, Lindsey’s mother answered the phone, and a moment later, Lindsey’s voice greeted him.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Good morning,” Mike replied.

“Hey! Is everything okay? Is Will okay?” Lindsey asked, her voice thick with concern.

“Yeah,” Mike said quickly. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Everyone is okay.”

Lindsey was silent on the other end of the line. Mike closed his eyes; she definitely realized he said ‘everyone’ instead of just saying Will’s name.

“So, what did Will need your help with so late?” she asked curiously.

“He… needed my help with… El,” Mike replied slowly. He waited for any response, but none came. “But I swear I went over there for him too. He’s my best friend, and he was so panicky on the phone. He didn’t know what to do. I had to help him.”

“Mike,” Lindsey said firmly, interrupting his hundred-miles-per-minute rambling. “I’m going to ask you this one time. When I was leaving last night, and I asked you if it was really Will or El who you were going to see, and you told me it was Will, did you know then that you were really going for El?”

“Yes,” Mike replied reluctantly. “But I can explain-”

“Goodbye, Mike,” Lindsey said swiftly before hanging up the phone.

Mike held the phone in his hand, gaping at it while the dial tone buzzed through. He slammed it back onto the wall with a frustrated groan and leaned his forehead against it, closing his eyes. That wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He knew Lindsey wasn’t going to be happy about it, but he had thought she would at least let him explain. He thought she would at least hear him out.

Now what was he supposed to do? He could hop in his car and drive to her house, hope that she lets him explain, and ask her to forgive him. Or he could give her time to cool down and talk to her at school tomorrow. Mike opted for the latter. After all, he had some things to figure out before talking to Lindsey.

Mike laid down on the couch, resting his head on the arm of the couch, and closed his eyes. He was back in El’s room, holding her while she buried her face in his chest and clung to his shirt. He could feel her soft skin and smell her floral shampoo. Seeing El looking so hurt and devastated had nearly killed him, and all he wanted to do was make her pain go away. Her pain that had been caused by another guy.

He couldn’t believe the nerve of that bastard. When Mike thought about Brad forcing himself onto El, he clenched his fists until his fingernails nearly drew blood on his palms. How could El have chosen that guy? The pain that still lingered from their breakup started to seep into Mike’s heart again. The heartbreak and bitterness and confusion that Mike knew he never fully processed… The pain that he was able to suppress and forget about, especially when he was with Lindsey. 

Mike knew he had to make things right with Lindsey. She was the only thing that had gotten him through his breakup with El, and she was the only thing keeping Mike from succumbing to the dark hole that he knew he would fall victim to. The one he fell in to when El disappeared for 353 days. The one he would have fallen in to when El dumped him three years ago, had his mind not been focused on defeating the Mind Flayer instead. The one that always seemed to be waiting for him when he was separated from El, unless he was able to remain distracted enough.

Not that Lindsey was a distraction, of course. Mike knew that he liked her, and he surely thought he could have a future with her. She just so happened to have come into his life at the perfect time to support him through El breaking his heart. 

The next morning, Mike got to school early so he could wait by Lindsey’s locker for her to arrive. He saw her walking toward him, and he noticed the second she spotted him, as her face went from instantly shocked to a look of annoyance. She didn’t look like she wanted to kill him, which Mike took as a good sign.

“What are you doing here?” Lindsey asked when she reached her locker. She opened it to put her backpack inside and grab her books for her first class.

“I just really want to talk to you. Please let me explain what happened Saturday night,” Mike pleaded.

“I have class,” Lindsey protested, shutting her locker door.

“I know. So do I. Just, five minutes. Please,” Mike asked again.

Lindsey sighed and cocked her head to the left, studying his face and deciding that he did look genuine. With another sigh, she relented and took Mike’s hand, pulling him around the corner into an empty classroom.

“Five minutes,” Lindsey repeated, signaling for him to begin his explanation.

“Okay, so, Will called me, and he was totally freaking out,” Mike began. “He was saying he didn’t know what to do and he needed my help. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me it was El.”

“So you knew from the very beginning that this was all about El,” Lindsey stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

“It was… it was about Brad. Will said she was sobbing alone in her room and wouldn’t talk to anybody-”

“So you agreed to go console your ex-girlfriend who was crying over another guy?” Lindsey clarified in disbelief.

“Linds… he tried to take advantage of her, okay? That’s what she told me when I got there,” Mike said softly. “That he forced himself on her, and she kept saying no, but he just wouldn’t stop until she was able to shove him off of herself. Then, I guess he got really shitty with her, called her a tease, and stormed out. She was really shaken up about the whole thing.”

Lindsey’s expression softened a bit, and Mike could see sympathy in her eyes. He knew that if he could just tell her what happened, Lindsey of all people should be able to understand what El just went through with Brad.

“Still, it’s not your job to fix her problems anymore. You can’t just leave your girlfriend every time your ex is upset. Will or Max or someone else is going to have to be the person who gets her through things,” Lindsey said, and Mike nodded.

“You still referred to yourself as my girlfriend… so that’s a good sign,” Mike smiled. He looked down at the floor when he saw how taken aback Lindsey looked at his comment.

“Mike, did you think I was going to break up with you over this?” Lindsey asked gently, and Mike shrugged.

“I don’t know. I mean, I guess I did kind of lie to you,” he pointed out, reluctantly admitting that what he said in the driveway was a lie, despite the technicality he had used to justify it at the time.

“Yeah, and I’m not happy about that. But I’m not just going to up and leave you over your first mistake. I was just mad, but I was going to talk to you when I calmed down,” Lindsey explained softly. She took a step closer to him, and when he raised his eyes to meet hers, Lindsey saw how surprised he was at how forgiving she was being about his lie. “She really did a number on you, didn’t she?”

“It’s not that,” Mike shook his head. “I am really sorry for lying to you. I shouldn’t have, and I won’t anymore. And I know I should’ve thought about you before going to help El… it was just… instinct for me.”

Lindsey tensed at the admission that being there for El was instinct for him, and Mike instantly found himself kicking himself once again.

“Just because she was part of my life for so long,” he quickly added. “But… she’s not now. And I know that. I promise, you have nothing to worry about… She doesn’t want me.”

“Do you want her?” Lindsey asked slowly.

Mike looked into her deep brown eyes and felt guilt consume him. He heard El’s voice asking him to stay the night with her, and he remembered how strongly he felt that he wanted to. He didn’t allow himself to think about what his answer would have been if El had asked him again. He wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to say no again. But Lindsey certainly didn’t need to know that. She had just graciously forgiven his lie, and the last thing Mike wanted to do was make Lindsey feel insecure about El.

“I want you,” he answered simply and leaned down to place a soft kiss on Lindsey’s lips.

Lindsey smiled against Mike’s lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. When they pulled back from the kiss, Lindsey rested her head on Mike’s chest and sighed as he hugged her against him. 

Anyone passing by would simply see a happy, peaceful couple. But the first real shadow of doubt had formed between Mike and Lindsey. Lindsey laid against him, trying to believe that she had nothing to worry about, and trying to ignore the bitterness she felt toward El and the suspicion that Mike was still holding something back from her. Mike held Lindsey and kissed the top of her head, trying his hardest to suppress anything having to do with El and convince himself that he could really be everything Lindsey deserved. After all, things with El were over.


	15. Chapter 15

That week at school was weird for Mike. Will had told him on Monday that El was doing okay but that she was taking the week off from school while his mom made arrangements for her to be placed into another English class. 

“I’m glad she’s doing okay. Thanks for letting me know,” Mike had said. “But she might be putting on a strong face for you and your mom… Just, keep an eye on her, okay? And if she starts to have nightmares or anything, do your best… If you need help-”

“You’ll come over again, right? I know she really appreciated that,” Will had interjected.

“Will… I can’t. I can’t do that again,” Mike had said quietly, shaking his head. “It’s too complicated, you know… with Lindsey.”

Mike had avoided Will’s eyes, and Will had suspected there was more to Mike’s refusal to come over again, but he decided not to push it. Will had nodded his understanding and promised to keep an eye on El.

The rest of the week passed, and even though Mike knew El wasn’t at school, he found himself disappointed when she wasn’t in the hall when he would normally see her. Of course, Brad was still there. Every time Mike would catch a glimpse of Brad, he could feel his blood start to boil. He wanted nothing more than to march down the hallway and wipe the constant smug look off Brad’s face. Of course, Mike knew better than to approach a star basketball player like that. He hadn’t had his ass beat in a few years since middle school ended, and he was certainly not going to end that streak his senior year. 

Things with Lindsey had mostly returned to normal. They hadn’t discussed Mike’s dishonesty anymore since Monday morning, and Lindsey didn’t bring up anything about El. Mike wasn’t even sure if Lindsey noticed that El was missing from school. If she did notice, she didn’t say anything. Of course, Mike didn’t point it out to her or tell her that Joyce was keeping El home for the week to mentally recover. The last thing Mike needed was Lindsey thinking that Mike was still involved in any way with El behind her back. 

What Mike didn’t know was that Lindsey wasn’t oblivious to the frown that would briefly cross Mike’s face when he glanced toward El’s locker, or the hatred that would flash in his eyes when he saw Brad, or the way he would clench his teeth or ball his fist when Brad’s voice would float down the hallway. Lindsey noticed all of it.

“So what are your plans for the week off?” Lindsey asked Friday afternoon as she and Mike walked toward her locker after chemistry.

“My sister Nancy is visiting from college for Thanksgiving. She isn’t coming home until Wednesday, though, because they still have classes Monday and Tuesday,” Mike said. “So I’ll probably spend a lot of time with Lucas, Dustin, and Will.”

“I wish I could meet your sister,” Lindsey pouted. “And I wish I didn’t have to spend the whole week in Ohio.”

Lindsey’s grandparents lived in Columbus, Ohio, and she and her parents and brother were leaving tonight to spend the week with them. 

“I know, but you’ll have fun with your family,” Mike assured her. “Besides, you’ll have plenty of time to meet my sister in the future.”

Lindsey’s face noticeably brightened at that, and she closed her locker and slung her backpack over her shoulder before reaching forward for Mike’s hands. She pulled him close to herself and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him against her.

“I’ll miss you,” she said.

“I’ll miss you too,” Mike replied, brushing her auburn hair away from her face. “Call me when you get back, and we can do something.”

“It won’t be until late next Saturday,” Lindsey frowned.

“Okay, then we can plan for next Sunday,” Mike suggested.

Lindsey nodded in agreeance and sighed, knowing she had to get going so she wouldn’t keep her family waiting. She and Mike kissed goodbye, Mike told her to have a safe trip and a Happy Thanksgiving, and then she was gone for the week.

The first half of the week of Thanksgiving break flew by. Lucas, Dustin, and Will came over every day; they watched a lot of movies, played a lot of video games, and went to the arcade a couple times. Max opted to spend most of her time with El rather than with the boys, and Mike couldn’t say he was bothered by that at all. In fact, he found himself really enjoying spending time just the four of them again. It hadn’t been like this in years.

Wednesday afternoon, Nancy arrived an hour before dinner. Jonathan dropped her off before heading to the Byers house. The plan was for Nancy and Jonathan each to spend Wednesday night at their respective family’s house, and Jonathan was coming to the Wheelers’ house the following afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner. He and Nancy also planned on going Black Friday shopping early the following day. So all in all, Nancy’s Thanksgiving visit with her family was going to be rather short.

“It’s so nice to have you home,” Karen beamed at her oldest child at dinner that evening. She turned to her husband who was focused on cutting his meatloaf. “Isn’t it nice to have Nancy home, Ted?”

“Yeah, of course,” Ted agreed half-heartedly, taking a bite and earning an eye roll from his wife.

“Well, I think it’s great to have you home for a few nights,” Karen repeated. “Tell me everything about how school is going.”

The dinner conversation quickly became about Nancy’s classes and how things were going with Jonathan. Ted completely zoned out, Karen was fully engaged, Holly interjected periodically to ask Nancy to elaborate on what certain things meant, and Mike was only half-listening. He was startled by the sound of his name, bringing his full attention back around.

“But how are things here? Mike, how’s school?” Nancy asked.

“It’s fine,” Mike shrugged. 

“Hear back from any colleges yet?”

“Yeah. I applied to four, and I got in to all of them.”

“Have you decided which one you’re going to?”

“I think so,” Mike replied. 

Before Mike could say anything more, Holly chimed in to tell Nancy all about how school was going for her. She made the honor roll her first quarter and was on track to make it again second quarter. Mike went back to only half-listening as his little sister rambled about the joys of fourth grade.

Twice more during dinner, Nancy redirected her attention to Mike, asking repeatedly how things were going with him. He continued to tell her everything was fine and that nothing exciting was happening. He started to wonder if she was fishing for something specific, but he was unsure of what that could be. After all, Mike and Nancy hadn’t spoken since she left for college at the beginning of fall semester.

After dinner, Mike was sitting on his bed, his back leaned against the headboard, working on some of his homework that he was assigned to be completed over break. He heard someone tapping on the doorframe of his open bedroom door and looked up to see Nancy.

“Hey, do you have a few minutes?” she asked, and Mike nodded, pushing his schoolwork to the side.

“What’s up?” he asked as Nancy took a seat on his desk chair.

“I haven’t seen you or talked to you in three months. So, what’s been going on?” Nancy asked casually.

“Nothing really,” Mike shrugged, avoiding her eye contact. “Everything’s pretty much the same. Nothing-”

“Mike,” Nancy interrupted, and he finally met her gaze. “I’ve been trying to get it out of you all evening, but since you seem to not want to tell me, I know you and El broke up.”

“Oh,” Mike said simply. He thought for a moment and furrowed his brow. “Who did you hear that from?”

“Jonathan,” Nancy replied. “He heard it from Will. But what I want to know is why I didn’t hear it from you.”

“I don’t know, Nance,” Mike sighed with a shrug. “It never really crossed my mind to call my older sister at college to tell her the love of my life left me.”

“Well, it should’ve. Didn’t we promise years ago not to keep secrets from each other? To tell each other things?” Nancy reminded him.

“You don’t really keep up your end of that either,” Mike scoffed. “You just said we haven’t spoken in three months. The phone goes both ways, Nancy.”

“I know, I know. I’ll get better about calling,” she promised. “But, now that it’s out in the open, do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Mike shrugged. “She doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“I find that hard to believe. I’ve seen you two together a lot over the years, and El is head over heels in love with you,” Nancy said.

“Then tell me why she broke up with me out of the blue so we could date other people,” Mike countered a little harsher than intended.

“She what?!” Nancy exclaimed, taken aback. “What exactly did she say?”

“It was a couple weeks after she went to some college party at Indiana State with Max and Robin and Robin’s roommate. I guess at that party she was dancing with some guy and he started making moves on her, and she shut it down… but Max and Robin’s roommate got in her head,” Mike was surprised to feel a lump starting to form in his throat. He shook his head; there’s no way he was going to relive that. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s over.”

Mike stood and started toward the door, but Nancy scooted the chair she was sitting in to block his path. He sighed and pursed his lips in annoyance.

“Seriously?” he asked in frustration.

Nancy crossed her arms over her chest and gave Mike the look that let him know she wasn’t going to let up until he told her what happened. He sighed and turned back to his bed, sitting on the edge of it to face his sister.

“What do you mean they got in her head?” Nancy asked.

“I mean, they were telling her how important it is for her to be with other guys to make sure that she and I are really meant to be,” Mike explained. “And that she can’t really know for sure unless she sees what’s out there.”

“And El took that advice seriously?” Nancy asked, confused.

“Yeah, obviously, she did,” Mike replied. “Two weeks later she told me that she thinks it would be best for us… to see other people… She said she didn’t want to wake up in twenty years and wonder if she made the right choice.”

“Oh, Mike, I’m so sorry,” Nancy said gently.

“It is what it is,” Mike shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant in hopes that Nancy would let him stop talking about it now that she knew what happened.

“Mike, it’s okay to still be upset about it,” Nancy assured him when she saw him struggling to maintain composure. “I know how much you’ve always loved her.”

Mike shook his head; he didn’t want to talk about this. But he felt his eyes begin to burn, and he felt the words coming up. He knew he was about to spill everything he had been holding in, everything he had stopped himself from saying to his friends. Nancy reached forward and placed her hand on top of his when she saw the first tear sneak down his cheek.

“I just… I don’t understand how she could do this to me,” Mike said, the rawness in his voice breaking Nancy’s heart. “I literally begged her to stay with me, Nancy. I told her how much I loved her and that I knew I would never have any regrets… that I didn’t need to see what else was out there. But she looked me dead in the eye and fucking ended it.”

Mike wiped the tears from his cheeks with his sleeve, something that proved to be pointless because of the steady stream of tears that kept coming. He felt Nancy squeeze his hand as she watched silently while he broke down. He was crying too hard to worry about feeling embarrassed right now.

“H-how could she s-say she loves me, then in the n-next breath say she wants to date other guys,” Mike managed through the tears.

“It sounds like she was confused by the advice she got,” Nancy said gently. “She was being told that being with only one person is abnormal. She was being told that to be absolutely sure about you, she had to be with someone else to realize what she really wanted was you. Those types of thoughts are enough to cast doubt into anyone at seventeen… and given El’s upbringing, can you blame her for being confused about relationships?”

“She didn’t seem confused, Nancy. She seemed like she had put a lot of thought into it, and she wanted to break up with me,” Mike argued. “But even if she was confused, if it’s about our relationship, why wouldn’t she just talk to me?”

“I don’t know, Mike. That’s something you should probably ask El… Have you talked to her at all since the breakup?” Nancy asked. 

“Sort of… Not about us… It’s complicated,” Mike said. Nancy cocked her head in confusion, and Mike sighed, knowing he had to explain everything about Brad. He’d already come this far anyway.

Mike told Nancy everything. He told her about El openly checking out Brad in the cafeteria the day after they broke up. He told her about El accepting a date with Brad deliberately in front of him. He told her about their brief exchange at the party after homecoming before Brad had whisked her down the hallway. And of course, he told her about the night when Will called him in a panic and he had gone over to comfort El after Brad had nearly forced himself onto her.

“Wow,” Nancy shuddered. “That’s a lot to take in… I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to be there for her like that.”

“I had to. It’s El. Seeing her so vulnerable and scared and hurt almost broke me again. I’d been so hurt and confused and lost since she dumped me, but that all flew out the window when she asked me to hold her. I had to do whatever she needed to help her feel better,” Mike explained quietly. “And it killed me. I was sitting there with her in my arms, and she was sobbing into me… And all I could think, other than what a jackass Brad is, was that this never should have happened. We shouldn’t be in this situation, and that we wouldn’t have been in that situation… if she would’ve just stayed with me.”

“Do you even realize how much it says that you went immediately to her side when she needed you? Or how much it says that even after everything, you are still the person that El needs?” Nancy pointed out.

“She, uh… she asked me to stay the night with her, but I obviously couldn’t because of Lindsey-”

“Wait. Who is Lindsey?” Nancy asked confused.

Mike quickly ran his and Nancy’s conversation through his mind. Had he really not mentioned Lindsey at all yet? 

“She’s my, uh, my new girlfriend,” Mike replied. 

“Your new girlfriend,” Nancy repeated, and Mike nodded. “And does she know about El?”

“Yes. She’s actually the one who has helped me the most in getting over El,” Mike replied.

“Mike,” Nancy sighed. “I’m sorry, but you are not over El. If you were over her, you wouldn’t be crying and asking yourself how she could’ve done this to you.”

“Okay, so I’m not completely over El,” Mike relented. “But Lindsey helps me forget about everything.”

“That isn’t moving on, Mike. That’s just distraction,” Nancy stated. “It sounds like you’re in a rebound relationship.”

“Lindsey’s not a rebound,” Mike insisted defensively. “She just happened to be there for me when El broke up with me.”

“Okay, so tell me about her,” Nancy said.

“What?” Mike asked, bewildered.

“If Lindsey isn’t a rebound, and she’s a serious relationship, then tell me about her,” Nancy repeated.

“Well, she’s… she’s sweet, and she’s smart. Really pretty,” Mike stammered.

“Sweet, smart, and pretty?” Nancy repeated. “That is the most generic description I’ve ever heard. Mike, when you would talk about El, it was like you were trying to write poetry or something, but you just described Lindsey with the absolute bare minimum effort. Sweet, smart, and pretty could define just about anyone.”

“Well what do you want from me, Nancy? She’s not El. But I do like her,” Mike insisted.

“Do you love her?” Nancy asked, and she could tell the answer by the look on her brother’s face.

“I think I could someday,” Mike replied, looking down at the floor.

“Are you sleeping with her yet?” Nancy continued.

“Why does everybody keep asking me that?” Mike asked, exasperated. “No, I’m not. We’ve done everything else, but-”

“I didn’t ask for details,” Nancy interrupted, raising her hands. “But did you ever think that maybe the reason you don’t love this girl, despite how sweet, smart, and pretty she is, is the same reason you can’t bring yourself to go all the way with her? That you still want to be with El?”

“Of course I still want to be with El!” Mike exclaimed. “But it doesn’t matter what I want.”

“What are you talking about? Of course it matters what you want,” Nancy objected. “You could stay with Lindsey. Maybe you will develop some type of love for her. You could get married and have a family. But you would be living your whole life knowing that you aren’t with the woman you’re truly in love with. So how could it not matter what you want?”

“Because even if I were to go to El right now and tell her that I still want to be with her and beg her to take me back, and she does, I’d get to be with the woman I love, but then I would spend every day of my life wondering if this is the day she’s going to leave me again,” Mike explained. “And honestly, I don’t know which scenario is worse.”

Nancy was speechless; he had a point, and she knew it. She offered a sympathetic smile as Mike covered his face with his hands and wiped his eyes.

“I don’t know what to do, Nancy,” he said, sounding utterly defeated.

“Well, first things first, you need to take care of yourself. Don’t let this stuff build up like this. Repressing these feelings for so long is not good for you,” Nancy said.

“I know. It’s just hard to talk about. Plus, Will lives with her, so he’s already in a rough spot. And Lucas and Dustin were supportive, but I don’t know, they really encouraged me to move on, so I never felt like I could tell them how much I was still hurting,” Mike explained.

“I get it. So if you ever want to talk to someone and you don’t feel like you can talk to your friends, call me. I’m serious,” Nancy offered. Mike chuckled but nodded, genuinely appreciating her offer.

“Now, as far as what to do about Lindsey and El… that’s ultimately going to be up to you,” Nancy said honestly. “I think you need to be completely honest with yourself about what you want… and I think you already know what that is. I know that you like Lindsey, and that you don’t want to hurt her. But sooner or later, if the relationship is bullshit, you can’t pretend like it isn’t. I know that better than anyone.”

“So I should break up with Lindsey and be with El? How could I ever be secure enough with El to not think she’s going to leave me again?” Mike asked.

“These are questions that only you will be able to answer,” Nancy replied. “And don’t think you have to choose either being with Lindsey or being with El. You’re only seventeen. Don’t be afraid of taking some time to yourself to fully heal before trying to make it work with anyone.”

Mike nodded. He knew Nancy’s advice had merit, but the idea of being alone honestly terrified him. He had never really been alone at all during his teenage years. Being in a relationship was all he knew… El was all he knew. Maybe that’s one of the many reasons why losing her hurt so badly and why he didn’t know how to cope with it.

“Do you feel any better? Did that help at all?” Nancy asked hopefully.

“You gave me a lot to think about. And surprisingly, I do feel a lot better… I’m still confused as hell, but letting that out feels really… refreshing,” Mike replied. “Thanks, Nance.”

“Any time,” Nancy smiled.

She stood up and pushed Mike’s desk chair back to where it belonged before leaving him to his thoughts once again.


	16. Chapter 16

“El! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Max exclaimed when she bounded through the Byers’ front door Monday after school. 

It was the first day that El missed of the week Joyce was allowing her to take off, and El was sitting in the living room staring at the television, not really watching the daytime show that was playing, when her best friend hurried in ahead of Will. Before El could react, Max was on the couch next to her, embracing her in a tight hug. El looked questioningly at Will over her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s your story to tell, but she forced it out of me,” Will apologized.

El nodded; she knew Max could be persistent when she wanted information. Also, it’s not like El was too upset that Will had told Max what happened. She was going to tell Max anyway, and now this way, she would be spared having to relive it as vividly.

“I obviously noticed you weren’t at school today, and Will told me you weren’t feeling well. But then after school, he went to the principal’s office to pick up your homework your teachers had sent down for you, and the secretary was confirming that he would be doing this every day this week,” Max explained. “I knew something was up.”

“It’s okay,” El shrugged.

“No, it’s not okay. El, why didn’t you call me?” Max asked, reaching out to squeeze El’s hand.

“I don’t know… I just, well I guess…,” El sighed and turned her head away. “I don’t know.”

“I wish you would’ve. You shouldn’t have had to be alone that night,” Max said gently.

El shot Will a curious glance, and the look on Will’s face as he subtly shook his head told El that he hadn’t included the detail of Mike coming over in his retelling to Max.

“Well, I wasn’t alone,” El said softly. “Mike came over… Will called him.”

Max’s face was a look of pure shock. Her eyes widened, and she opened and closed her mouth several times while trying to find the right words to say. El waited patiently for her friend to process this new information, and she noticed Will continue down the hallway, giving El and Max privacy to hang out.

“Oh… well that’s… that was ni-” Max stopped herself before saying it was ‘nice of him,’ cocking her head to the right and studying El’s face. “How did you feel about him coming over?”

“I didn’t expect it,” El shrugged. “But that’s who Mike is, you know? He has always been there for me whenever I needed anything.”

“Yes, but you were dating all those other times,” Max pointed out.

“I know,” El agreed, nodding. “But, you and Abby… you said that Mike and I… that we might…” El sighed and pursed her lips. “No, never mind.”

El pulled her knees to her chest and looked away from Max. Max had an idea of where El was going with her thought process, but she wanted her friend to say it out loud. She had been making a conscious effort to be a better friend to El and really encourage her to share how she was feeling about everything.

“What is it?” she asked gently. El sighed and shook her head before facing Max again.

“I was just thinking that you and Abby had said that after seeing what else is out there, Mike still might be the one for me… so maybe what he did for me the other night shows that he still loves me,” El explained quietly. “But that can’t be right. He’s in love with Lindsey now.”

“How do you know that?” Max asked.

“I asked him if he loves her. I also asked him if they are having sex. He didn’t say no to either one,” El replied.

But did he say yes to either one? Max wondered to herself. She knew Mike had always had a particularly sensitive spot for El, even before he ever admitted to being in love with her. So, it wouldn’t have been completely shocking for him to have come over to comfort El… but still, Max thought back to what she walked in on last week when she opened Mike’s basement door… the image that was burned into her brain of Mike and Lindsey together. Maybe she should tell El that she knew Mike and Lindsey were being intimate together. Maybe that confirmation would be just what she needed to move on, just like Mike clearly had. Sure, it would hurt, but El was clearly conflicted over what Mike’s actions meant.

“El…” Max started.

El looked at Max, and Max couldn’t understand how El’s eyes were able to look so exhausted, yet so full of emotion at the same time. Max’s chest tightened at the thought of everything El was going through. Processing what Brad did to her, being confused about what that means about other guys out there, trying to figure out what it meant when Mike came over… it was too much. Max couldn’t add anything else to El’s plate.

“El, you’ve been through a lot recently. I think it might be best if you stop trying to figure out what that night meant for you and Mike,” Max said gently. “Don’t worry about him, don’t worry about Lindsey. Let’s get your mind off everything and focus on getting you better.”

El offered a gracious smile. She was certainly confused about Mike, and she felt nauseous any time she thought about him with Lindsey. But she was also battling her own trauma. El tried her hardest to stay awake late into the night because she worried about the nightmares that could come if she slept. She didn’t have anyone there to hug her and rub her back until she calmed down, and it was no longer an option to reach for the walkie Mike had given her to contact him with if she ever had a nightmare when he wasn’t with her. She knew if the nightmares got in, she would have to face them alone.

Of course, try as she did, she wasn’t able to stay awake throughout the nights, and she inevitably fell into a restless sleep, not deep enough for any dreams that she could remember. But last night, she had fallen asleep underneath her bedspread, and when she had started waking up, she felt the weight of the heavy blanket on top of her and, in her mind, she was underneath Brad again. This morning, El had decided she would start laying on top of her blankets so that wouldn’t happen again.

“Thanks, Max,” she said. “How should we do that?”

Max glanced over El’s pajamas and messy hair.

“Baby steps. Why don’t you go take a hot shower, and I’ll make us some triple decker Eggo extravaganzas,” she suggested.

El nodded and headed down the hallway to do as Max suggested, and Max made her way to the kitchen to pull out all the necessary toppings. The rest of the afternoon, Brad, Mike, and Lindsey never came up again. The girls ate their Eggos before working on some schoolwork and finishing the evening up by watching Dirty Dancing. Max left after the movie, but she planned on talking to her parents about spending the night at El’s house at least once or twice during the week. That night, El laid down on her bed, overtop of the covers, with a smile on her face. But after several minutes of laying alone in the darkness of her bedroom, her mind started to fill with the familiar confusion and depression. She rolled onto her side and hugged an extra pillow tightly to her body, eventually falling into another restless sleep.

The rest of the week went similarly. Max came over after school each day, and the two of them spent the afternoon and evening together. They watched a lot of movies, read a lot of Cosmos, and painted their nails fun new colors. Max always made a point to ask how El was feeling and let her talk about whatever she needed to get off her chest. El was open about more with her, especially after the first night that Max spent the night in El’s room and asked why she was laying down to go to bed on top of her covers. El had turned away from the look of sadness that had spread over Max’s face when El had explained that the weight on top of her when she was waking up could put her back in that moment when she was unable to move with Brad on top of her.

El was not the only person in the house who was thankful for Max’s frequent visits. Joyce and Will had both taken Max aside throughout the week to thank her for being so caring and helping El heal. Joyce had expressed feelings of guilt, knowing that, although she was there with El during the afternoons while everyone else was at school, she often worked in the evenings, so having Max there for El was especially helpful. 

Thursday afternoon, Dustin and, to El’s surprise, Lucas followed Max and Will into the house after school. Dustin pulled El into a tight bearhug and whispered into her ear that he was glad she was okay.

“Hopefully your new English class won’t be the last period of the day. Study hall is so boring without you,” he said.

“They got me switched into one during the same class period, just a different teacher. So the rest of my class schedule is staying the same,” El revealed.

She turned toward Lucas who was standing between Dustin and Max. El could probably count on two hands the number of words Lucas had actually spoken to her since she had broken up with Mike. Now he was looking at her with a softer expression, and she thought she even sensed some regret, or maybe guilt? She opened her mouth to speak, but at the same time, Lucas started to take a step forward. El closed her mouth and waited as Lucas hesitantly came closer and reached out his arms, pulling her into a hug.

“Hey El,” he whispered into her ear. “I, uh… I’m really glad you’re okay.”

El squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the sting of tears, and by the time Lucas pulled back from the hug, she was able to compose herself. Later, after the boys went home, Max told El that she had not-so-politely filled Lucas in on what had happened with Brad. Lucas had made a snide remark earlier in the week about El not coming to school because things didn’t work out with her new boyfriend, and he had been confused when Mike had shot him a glare from across the table. When Max had told him the story privately that afternoon, Lucas actually had to hold back tears. The guilt of how poorly he had been treating El took over him, and he immediately felt like an asshole. This was El. This was the girl who had saved his life, their friends’ lives, and the world countless times. Lucas had apologized to Max for the comment he made, and he had told Max he wanted to see El. Lucas knew that things still wouldn’t be back to normal between the two of them, but he also couldn’t stand the thought that something bad could have happened to Eleven while he was being unnecessarily harsh toward her.

The five of them spent Thursday afternoon at the arcade. It was the first time El had left the house all week, and she had never had more fun at the arcade than she did that day.

The next day was her friends’ last day of school before Thanksgiving break, and El knew that Max planned on spending even more time with her during the week of break when she didn’t need to be with her family for the holiday. Will spent a lot of time over at Mike’s with Lucas and Dustin while Max came over to see El every day from Saturday through Tuesday, even spending the night both Saturday and Sunday.

By the middle of the week of Thanksgiving break, El knew she had made a lot of progress. She was not over what happened, and she accepted that the pain would always be with her, but she was getting better. Max coming over every day, Will spending time with the two of them periodically, seeing Dustin and Lucas, and having many one-on-one afternoons with Joyce had been almost therapeutic. 

On Thursday evening, El was seated at the kitchen table with Joyce and Will for a small Thanksgiving dinner. Jonathan had gotten in late yesterday afternoon, and after several hours of catching up on how school and life was going, he had reminded them that he was spending Thanksgiving with Nancy at the Wheelers’ house. With it just being the three of them, Joyce didn’t want to go overboard, but she still wanted a special, traditional Thanksgiving dinner. So, on display in the center of the table was a ten-pound turkey surrounded by dishes of stuffing, green bean casserole, yams, and corn. A pumpkin pie was waiting on the counter for after dinner.

“Before we dig in, who wants to start with what you’re thankful for?” Joyce asked, folding her napkin over her lap.

“Mom, do we have to do that?” Will almost whined.

“It’s tradition,” Joyce reminded him.

It hadn’t always been tradition, but after almost losing her youngest son permanently in 1983, Joyce took every opportunity she could to remember the things in life she was thankful for. So, having her children do the same at least once a year had become tradition.

“I’ll start,” she offered. “I’m thankful for all three of the kids I’m honored to call my own. You’re all turning in to young adults that I could not be prouder of. I’m thankful for my job which gives me the ability to help send you all to college so you can have more than I’ve ever been able to give you. And I’m thankful for yet another year free from any inter-dimensional interference.”

“Mom,” Will laughed. “I don’t think you have to thank the universe for that every year.”

“I don’t. I thank it every day,” Joyce said. “Your turn.”

“I’m thankful for my friends, my brother, my sister,” Will began, turning to smile at El briefly before facing back to his mother. “And I’m thankful that you’re my mom. And for what it’s worth, you’ve always given me all I ever needed.”

Joyce beamed at her youngest son and squeezed his hand before turning to El. The concept of reflecting on things she was thankful for had been so foreign to El when this tradition was introduced to her several years ago. She often found herself saying the same things: her friends, her adoptive family, Mike. But she had even more to be thankful for this year.

“I’m forever thankful for all my friends, and to both of you and Jonathan for accepting me into your family,” she said. “I’m thankful for my powers. And I’m thankful for the extra love and support everyone has shown me over the last couple weeks.”

When El had finished speaking, Joyce actually stood and went around the table to give her a hug as Will squeezed her hand. Then, the three of them enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner.

The next day, Jonathan and Nancy walked into the house shortly before noon, each carrying armfuls of shopping bags. From looking at the store names on the bags, El realized it was nearly all Nancy’s purchases.

“Get anything good?” Will asked, crossing the room to peer at the bags in Jonathan and Nancy’s arms.

“Actually yes,” Nancy replied, shifting her bags away from Will’s eyes. “All of my Christmas shopping is done. Well, except for Jonathan. I couldn’t buy for him with him right next to me.”

“I tell you every year not to worry about spending money on me. Just shop for your family and friends,” Jonathan said, taking the bags from Nancy and taking them down the hallway to his room.

“And I tell you every year that’s never going to happen,” Nancy called after him as she unwrapped her scarf and hung her coat in the coat closet.

“What are you getting him this year?” Will asked while his brother was still out of the room.

“I haven’t decided,” Nancy replied. Last year, she had gotten him a brand new camera. The year prior, she had gotten him a new watch. “I’m trying to think if there’s anything for our apartment that he specifically wants.”

While Nancy and Will talked about Christmas gift ideas for Jonathan, El went to the kitchen, grabbed some turkey from the refrigerator to make a turkey sandwich, and retreated to her bedroom to work on some of the schoolwork from the previous week that she had neglected. She sat at her desk over her algebra homework for about fifteen minutes before she heard a tap on the door she had left cracked open.

“Hi,” she smiled at Nancy who was standing in the doorway.

“Hey, can I come in?” Nancy asked, and El nodded. El was seated at her desk, so Nancy took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Did you have a good Thanksgiving?”

“Yes. It was just the three of us, but it was nice. Plus, lots of leftovers,” El replied, and Nancy laughed and agreed. “How was your Thanksgiving?”

“It was good. You know how my mom goes overboard with holiday dinners. I’m pretty sure they’ll be eating the same thing until Christmas,” Nancy said.

“Yeah,” El nodded, her smile turning slightly sad as she remembered holidays at the Wheeler house.

“I just wanted to check in on you,” Nancy began. “You don’t have to tell me what happened. I’m sure you’re sick of retelling the story. And I know you have Will and Mrs. Byers, and even Jonathan if you ever needed him, but if you ever want someone else to talk to… a woman who isn’t your mom, for example… just know that I’m here for you.”

“Really? Even though…” El trailed off.

“Of course. El, no matter what happens between you and my brother, you will always have me around if you need me,” Nancy assured her.

“Thanks, Nancy,” El smiled gratefully.

Throughout the years of dating Mike, El had grown close enough to Nancy to view her as her own big sister. Nancy had helped show her how to apply makeup and use a curling iron. She had always been there for advice, and she usually gave different advice than Max… probably because of the age difference. El wasn’t sure. But she knew that she was thankful she wasn’t losing Nancy because of her breakup with Mike.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Nancy replied. “But, if I may ask, how are you doing now?”

“Better,” El sighed. “It’s been hard. Really hard… Um, how much do you know?”

“Mike told me everything,” Nancy admitted, and El nodded.

“I thought the breakup was hard enough… but then what happened with Brad two weeks ago…” El trailed off again and shook her head. “If I didn’t have my friends and family to help me, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it alone.”

“Well that’s what friends and family are for. You don’t have to get through anything alone,” Nancy reminded her, placing a hand on El’s knee.

El nodded and gave Nancy an appreciative smile. Then, it dawned on her that Nancy and Mike must have had a rather deep conversation if Mike had told her ‘everything’ like Nancy claimed.

“So… how is Mike doing?” El asked hesitantly.

“He’s confused,” Nancy answered carefully. “He has a lot on his mind. I know that you know this, but you’re the first – and until recently, the only – girl Mike has ever dated. These feelings, heartbreak, new relationships, everything he’s going through right now is all new to him.”

“Yeah,” El said distantly. “It’s new to me, too.”

Nancy nodded and squeezed El’s hand with a sigh.

“Nancy, do you think it’s still possible that… that Mike and I… well, that we are… um…” El diverted her gaze away from the older girl.

“Yes, I do, El,” Nancy replied softly. “I really do. There’s a lot that would still have to happen… You and Mike both need time to truly find yourselves and heal from everything you’ve both been through.”

El nodded and thought about Nancy’s words. She was right, of course. El knew she still had a lot to figure out personally, and she was sure Mike did too. She had broken up with him to see what was out there like Max and Abby had recommended, but El wasn’t sure that she cared what was out there anymore. She only knew how much she missed Mike and how perfect it felt for those few short hours when she was in his arms again a couple weekends ago.

“I know you have a lot to think about. Let me know if you need anything at all,” Nancy said before standing to leave El’s room and rejoin Jonathan.

Later that afternoon, Max came over, and she and El were hanging out in El’s room. El had considered sharing Nancy’s advice with Max, but she and Max had been having such a good two weeks, El didn’t want to risk getting into an uncomfortable conversation about she and Mike’s relationship. El decided to keep it to herself a while longer while thinking through it.

“So, I talked to Robin this morning,” Max said. “You don’t have any plans tomorrow do you?”

“No,” El shook her head.

“Good! Robin and Abby are heading back to campus Sunday afternoon, so they wanted the four of us to get together tomorrow,” Max explained.

With everything that had happened with Brad, and with the place El’s mind had been the past couple weeks, she had forgotten all about Max saying that Robin and Abby would be in town.

“O-okay,” El said, and Max furrowed her brow.

“What’s wrong?” Max asked.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just forgot they were coming to town,” El replied. “What do they want to do?”

“They want us to come over around six,” Max explained with a shrug. “Apparently Abby has the whole night planned.”

El nodded in agreement, though she couldn’t help but feel hesitant about seeing Robin’s friend again. Then again, they would be spending less than twenty-four hours together. What’s the worst that could happen?


	17. Chapter 17

Saturday evening, Max drove herself and El over to Robin’s house. Abby wasn’t from Hawkins, but she hadn’t wanted to fly home for Thanksgiving when she was just flying home a month later for Christmas anyway, so she accompanied Robin home for the short break. Like Nancy and Jonathan, Robin and Abby only had the last three days of the school week plus the weekend for Thanksgiving break.

Max parked on the street in front of Robin’s house and looked over at El. She could tell that El was apprehensive, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. El had been easily agitated when they were getting ready to leave the Byers’ house; Max had had to say her name multiple times to get her attention, and when she finally did, El snapped at her or was short with her over and over again. Max hadn’t pried, but now as they sat in the car in front of the Buckley house, El was staring out the window biting her bottom lip and picking at her thumbnail, a look of concern on her face.

“El,” Max began gently. “Is everything okay? Are you doing okay today?”

El turned to face her friend. She knew she had been irritable all day and that she had been harsh with Max when Max hadn’t deserved it. But El was uneasy about spending time with the college girls again, and she just couldn’t shake the feeling. She was preoccupied with the thought because the last time she had woken up with such a strong anxious feeling that she couldn’t explain, Brad had ended up assaulting her that evening. She was worried that something bad was going to happen, whether to her or to Max or even to Abby or Robin. El was also worried about the subject of Mike coming up again. Maybe Abby wouldn’t remember the advice she had given back in August, but El doubted that.

“I’m doing fine. I just keep thinking about the last time we hung out with them,” El replied softly.

“Oh, the frat party? Well at least now you know what getting drunk feels like, so you’ll know to stop when you start feeling it too strongly. And if any guy tries to step out of line, you proved you can defend yourself,” Max encouraged her. “Plus, I don’t even know what the plan is for tonight, but there are obviously no frat houses around Hawkins, so I don’t think you have to worry about any of that.”

El nodded, deciding to let Max think that the college party was what she had been concerned about. In reality, El hadn’t given that party much thought at all. But it wasn’t worth trying to explain the truth to Max; Max was eager to get inside, and El reminded herself that they were only going to be here for one night. 

The two girls walked up the path and knocked on the front door, and they were soon greeted by Robin with a warm smile.

“Hey! It’s so great to see you,” she welcomed them and pulled Max into a quick hug, then followed by El. “Come in.”

Max and El followed Robin into the foyer and then up the stairs. When she pushed open her bedroom door, they saw Abby sitting on Robin’s bed, her blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail as she sifted through lipstick colors.

“They’re here!” Robin exclaimed, and Abby looked up smiling excitedly.

“Hey! It’s good to see you again,” she said.

El and Max both returned the gesture, though El found herself wishing she were anywhere else. The apprehensive feeling she’d had all day took a quick turn now that she was in the room with these three again. El understood that Max and Robin had become close friends, and El didn’t have a problem with Robin. But why Abby? Why couldn’t she have just gone home for Thanksgiving? El took a deep breath and reminded herself again that it was just one night.

Robin was seated on an ottoman next to the bed, and Max bounced onto the bed next to Abby to look through lipstick colors with her. El took a seat on Robin’s desk chair, a bit further away from the other girls, and she listened while Robin started catching up with Max.

Max was telling Robin about school, how she was so ready to graduate in the spring and be out of Hawkins High forever. In return, Robin said how excited she was to only have one year left of college before going out and really starting the rest of her life.

“What about you, El? How is everything going?” Robin asked, turning her attention to El who had not spoken.

El sucked in the insides of her cheeks while thinking of how to respond to the question. Since the last time she saw these two, El’s life had been a whirlwind of chaos, confusion, and regret. Did she really want to delve into all those details with these girls who she didn’t know very well? Not particularly.

“Things have been good,” she replied, offering a small smile.

“I bet you’re ready to graduate and go off to college with Mike in a few months,” Robin said.

El looked down. Robin didn’t know that she had broken up with Mike. El thought Max may have told her, and she found herself thankful that that hadn’t been the case. If Robin and Abby hadn’t known that she had broken up with him, at least they haven’t been talking about it over the past few months. El didn’t want Abby to have the satisfaction of feeling like she was right. She didn’t want Abby talking about Mike at all.

“That… isn’t exactly happening anymore,” Max said slowly when El didn’t respond.

El’s gaze quickly shot up toward Max, warning the redhead not to say anymore. It wasn’t her place. It wasn’t her business.

“What? What do you mean?” Robin asked, looking back and forth between Max and El.

Max stared at El, urging her to explain what happened, but El remained silent. She could feel Abby looking at her expectedly from her place on the bed, but El refused to look her way at all. She wished she were back at home.

“Mike’s the one you’ve been with since you were, like, ten, right?” Abby asked, sending chills throughout El’s body at the sound of Mike’s name coming out of her mouth.

“Twelve,” she corrected the girl shortly.

“Twelve, that’s right,” Abby nodded. “So, did you take our advice and take a break from him? Explore your options?”

El clenched her fists at her sides and considered Abby’s choice of words. Take a break from him… as if Mike was something disposable that she could come and go from as she pleased, rather than a human being with feelings that were not being considered or respected here at all.

“She dumped his ass in the beginning of September,” Max finally revealed, shrugging as if it was nothing too important, but with a smile on her face as if she were sharing great news.

“Max!” El said sternly, glaring strongly into her best friend.

El was livid. Max had spent how many weeks being more supportive and actually listening to El’s feelings and helping her heal. She really thought Max was being the type of friend El had needed her to be and caring about El throughout the process. But now, here Max was, sharing the news of El’s relationship crumbling as if it were simple gossip, and using that stupid ‘dump his ass’ phrase that El despised. What was it about Abby that made Max act this way?

“Good for you!” Abby beamed from the bed. “Have you been enjoying the freedom?”

El looked down at the ground. If Abby knew anything about El’s past, she wouldn’t be so loose with the word ‘freedom.’ Mike was the one who helped ensure El’s freedom in the first place… she hated that Abby was using the term ‘freedom’ to describe being away from Mike. She didn’t feel free at all. She felt trapped by the regret of breaking his heart, the sickness of seeing him with another girl, and the pain and confusion of trying to live her life without him being a part of it.

“It’s been hard,” El decided to answer simply.

“Have you put yourself out there? Gone out with any new guys?” Abby pressed on.

El clenched her teeth. Could this girl really not tell that El didn’t want to talk about this?

“Just one. It didn’t end well,” she replied curtly.

“Not all of them do,” Abby said with the wave of her hand. “But there are plenty out there. In fact, you may be able to find one or two tonight.”

El furrowed her brow and looked at Max whose eyes were widened in excitement at Abby’s words.

“What are we doing tonight?” the redhead asked, nearly bouncing up on her knees on the bed.

“We’re going out,” Abby replied vaguely.

“In… Hawkins?” Max asked confused. She knew there was no ‘going out’ scene in this town.

“Where would we go out in Hawkins?” Robin scoffed at Max, voicing the confusion that the younger girl had been thinking. “Of course not in Hawkins.”

“Then where?” Max asked, turning back to Abby.

El was sickened by how Max was staring at this girl in some weird adoration, ready to hang off of every word she says.

“A guy in my econ class actually lives in a town about an hour from here, and he’s a bouncer at a bar,” Abby replied.

Both Max and El could see where Abby was heading with this information. El had to stifle a groan while Max squealed and clapped her hands together.

“We’re not old enough to get in,” El stated, mainly to Max who snapped her head in El’s direction with a frown.

“He owes me a favor, and I’m collecting tonight. He’s gonna let you two in, you just can’t go up to the bar. Robin and I will get drinks for you,” Abby explained.

“He could lose his job for that. And we could all get in a lot of trouble if any of us get caught,” El said.

El was put off by the frown she was receiving from Max. Hadn’t Max been the one to chastise Dustin for drinking alcohol outside the homecoming dance? She thought Max was responsible enough to know that the two of them being snuck into a bar at seventeen years old and being served alcohol by their college friends was a recipe for disaster. El cursed Abby again for the effect she seemingly had on Max.

“Nobody’s going to get caught,” Abby said dismissively.

“El, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can drive you home,” Robin offered gently.

El met Robin’s eyes and knew she was being genuine. Going home would definitely be safer; she had no chance of being caught doing anything illegal, and she could spend a relaxing Saturday night with her family. She didn’t care if Abby would think any less of her… but El knew that Max was firm in her decision to go along with Abby’s plan. Max was probably going to get drunk, and El didn’t trust her best friend in the care of just Abby and Robin. Sure, her friendship with Max had been feeling shaky off and on for the past couple months, but El still didn’t want anything to happen to her.

“Thanks Robin,” El sighed. “But I’ll go with you guys.”

Max squealed in excitement and clapped her hands together before lunging off the bed to wrap her arms around El’s neck in a tight hug. Abby crossed the room to her suitcase which was laying unzipped against the wall. El could see that Abby had clearly been living out of it for the past several days, as several pieces of clothing were strewn about the floor next to it and on top of the luggage. Abby dug through the contents of the suitcase and pulled out a few options.

“I brought some more clothes for you two to wear since I’m sure you didn’t bring anything to suit going out,” she said, casually tossing the garments on the bed before digging through the shoes that she brought.

After sifting through the options that Abby laid out for them, Max decided on a tight black miniskirt and a white off-the-shoulder top for herself and a lowcut blue dress for El. El accepted the dress and heels that Max sent her way, and she excused herself to get dressed in the bathroom at the end of the hallway.

When the four girls were all dressed, Abby sat Max in front of the mirror to go to work on her hair and makeup. She then did the same for El. After nearly an hour of teasing, a bottle of hairspray, and even more lipstick color debates, all four girls were ready to go.

“You are really good at this,” Max complimented Abby as she admired her makeover from the college girl in the mirror.

“I get a lot of practice. I pretty much do everyone’s makeup at the sorority house every weekend before we go out,” Abby replied.

The four of them left the Buckley house and piled into Robin’s car to head out of town. Max and El were sitting in the backseat, Max singing along to every song that blasted through the front speakers, and El staring out the window at the passing scenery while picking at her fingernails and trying to calm her stomach which had been doing somersaults since leaving the house. 

Why couldn’t they just stay at Robin’s house? They could’ve watched girly movies, done makeovers without having to go to a bar, eaten pizza, or any other sleepover activity. But no, the girls wanted to party. El was biting her lip as she thought about the severity of what she was participating in. She was breaking the law, and even though nobody else thought they would get caught, El knew it was a real possibility. What would Hopper say if he were here to see her dressed up as if she were twenty-five about to be snuck into a bar an hour away to get drunk with people she barely knows? El blinked away the sting in her eyes as she imagined his look of disappointment.

“We’re going to have a blast. You two need to come stay another weekend, for real!” Abby exclaimed as the song on the radio began to fade out.

“Absolutely! And just think how much fun we’ll have every weekend next year when we’re all at Indiana State!” Max gushed.

“You got in?!” Abby shrieked, turning her body in the passenger seat to look at Max.

“I haven’t heard back yet, but I’m sure I will. And I know El will too,” Max replied.

El turned to look at Max and scrunched her brow in confusion. Max had asked her about considering applying to Indiana State, but they hadn’t talked about it in weeks.

“I haven’t applied,” El admitted.

“What?! I told you the application deadline is December first. That’s just a little over a week away!” Max said with widened eyes.

“You never brought the subject up again, so I didn’t know how serious you were,” El replied.

Max rolled her eyes, and El was taken aback by her friend’s reaction.

“Just get the application in, El. I don’t want you to be all alone,” Max said.

El clenched her teeth and decided not to respond. She turned her head to look out the window again as Robin continued down the highway. The lights from the approaching city were shining brightly in contrast to the dark sky, and El reminded herself again that she only had to make it through this one night.

Robin parked in a lot a couple blocks from the bar that Abby’s classmate worked at, and the four girls started walking down the street. Abby had prepped Max and El by reminding them to act as if they belonged and not as if this was their first time in a bar. She told them that once they were all inside, the floor would be so packed and the room would be dark so nobody would suspect that the two of them were underage. They walked the two blocks, and soon the bar came into Abby’s line of vision.

“There it is,” she said, pointing down the block to a bright sign that read Kamikaze hanging over a door that was propped open. “And there’s Nick!”

There was a man standing at the open doorway to the bar, whom the other girls assumed to be Nick from Abby’s economics class. He was definitely in shape, but he was only about half the size that a stereotypical bouncer would be. His buzzcut and bicep tattoos that were visible under the sleeves of his t-shirt did add to the tough persona he probably maintained for work. Abby called out his name as they got closer, and he nodded in their direction.

Max and El stood a few steps behind Abby and Robin as Abby greeted Nick with a hug. They briefly exchanged ‘hellos’ and asked about each other’s Thanksgivings before Abby nodded briefly toward each Robin, El, and Max, silently reminding Nick of their agreement.

“Have a good time, ladies,” Nick nodded politely and gestured toward the open door next to him.

Once inside, El’s eyes were immediately accosted by the flashing lights that filled the otherwise darkened room. Her eyes glanced over the sea of people dancing to the music that blared through the speakers, reverberating off each wall. She must have stood too long in the doorway because a moment later, she was knocked into by another group of women hurrying into the bar.

“You two go grab us that table! We’ll be back with drinks!” Abby hollered over the deafening sounds of the bar and pointed at a circular booth against the opposite wall.

Max nodded and grabbed El’s hand, pulling her toward the table that Abby had pointed at while Abby and Robin shoved their way through the hoards of fellow patrons on their way to the bar. El allowed herself to be yanked through the crowd, apologizing to the people she bumped in to but knowing it was pointless, as they most definitely couldn’t hear her if she couldn’t even hear herself. They arrived at the empty table, and Max nudged El into the booth first before scooting in after her.

“This is so fucking sick!” Max exclaimed, her face lit with excitement.

El didn’t say anything back but just smiled and nodded, hoping to put on a convincing enough face for her friend. Truthfully, El’s only goal for the night was for all four of them to make it through this chaos alive and out of jail. She wasn’t wanting to get drunk in a strange place so far from home, and she certainly wasn’t wanting to find any new guys to experiment with as Abby had suggested at Robin’s house.

A moment later, Robin and Abby appeared at the table, each with full hands as they each carried two glasses filled with dark-colored liquids. Robin placed one drink in front of El while Abby placed one in front of Max, and Robin slid into the booth, letting Abby slide in last.

“What’s this?” Max asked, taking her first sip through the straw in her drink and her eyes widening at how strong it was.

“Long island,” Abby replied. “Top shelf.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Robin added. “Shit’s expensive. You’re getting vodka sodas the rest of the night.”

“Vodka cranberry,” Max interjected, and Robin rolled her eyes but nodded.

Abby removed the straw from her own drink and flicked it to the side before downing half of her own drink in two large gulps. El looked down at the table and took a small sip of the long island that had been placed in front of her. It was definitely different from whatever was served at the frat party and what was served at Tyler’s party after homecoming, but El secretly admitted that she kind of liked it. Still, wanting to remain cautious, she sipped the drink slowly while the other three appeared to be in an unspoken race to finish theirs.

“I’m gonna get us some shots. When I get back, that better be gone!” Abby hollered, pointing directly at El’s glass, as she was the only one at the table who wasn’t down to her final sip.

Robin scooted out of the booth and followed Abby back to the bar to help her carry the next round of drinks.

“You doing okay?” Max asked, nearly resting her head on El’s shoulder to get close enough for El to hear without her having to scream. El nodded and took another sip of her long island.

“Just pacing myself,” she replied and offered Max a reassuring smile.

“Fuck pacing yourself,” Max said, waving her hand. “You need to let loose, El! Have a good time! You’re my best friend, and I hate seeing you so down all the time.”

El smiled bitterly as she took another drink from her glass.

“Sorry I’ve been such a burden,” she muttered.

“Huh?” Max asked, moving her ear closer to El.

Luckily, Abby and Robin reappeared at the table, though this time Abby was actually carrying a small tray full of glasses. She set it down in the middle of the table, and Max’s mouth dropped open at the eight drinks in front of her… four more mixed drinks and four shots. Robin and Abby scooted into the booth again before passing out one mixed drink and one shot to each of them.

“Fantastic!” Abby exclaimed as the last drop of El’s long island was sucked up through her straw and El set the empty glass on the edge of their table.

“Okay girls, shots first,” Robin ordered.

El reached her fingers out for the small glass in front of her and waved it under her nose, breathing in a smell she had never experienced. Abby giggled as El wrinkled her nose and refused to tell Max what the shot was until after they’d all taken it.

“All right, ladies, on the count of three!” Abby said, raising her shot glass and waiting for the others to do the same. “One… two… three!”

There was a brief clank as the four girls’ shot glasses mimicked a toast, and they each tossed their heads backward to let the alcohol slide down their throats. El couldn’t help but cough once she swallowed down her shot, and next to her, Max was squeezing her eyes closed and pinching the bridge of her nose. Abby and Robin were nearly cackling at the younger girls’ reactions to the shots, and a few moments later, El was able to regain control of her coughs and wipe her watery eyes.

“What was that?” El croaked, shoving her empty shot glass away from herself.

“Jameson,” Abby replied with a laugh. “It’s whiskey.”

“That’s a vodka cranberry,” Robin said, gesturing toward the mixed drink in front of her.

El nodded and took a sip through the straw protruding from the red-colored liquid. Finally, she sighed as the taste of cranberry filled her mouth in an effort to mask the lingering taste of the whiskey. She briefly wondered if it was good for her to be mixing all these types of liquor… the vodka, the whiskey, and whatever the hell was mixed together to make the long island. She could feel her head already started to become a bit foggy, and her arms seemingly started to feel separate from the rest of her body. El decided to slow down and go back to slowly sipping her drink. A look over at Max proved that her best friend had different ideas, as her vodka cranberry was nearly empty.

“I’ll go get the next round,” Abby said as she stood from the table.

“Wait,” Robin called after her, grabbing the blonde girl’s wrist to stop her. “Maybe we should slow down. They’re only seventeen. They’re not used to drinking like this.”

“Just get them up and keep them moving. They’ll be fine,” Abby said dismissively, pulling out of Robin’s grasp and walking to the bar for the third time. Robin sighed and looked at El and Max, deciding it wasn’t a bad suggestion.

“Come on, let’s go dance!” she suggested, sliding out of the booth.

Max started to stand up and instantly stumbled. Luckily, Robin was able to catch her before she landed on the floor, and she pulled Max to her feet. Robin waited for Max to steady herself before letting go of her arms and letting Max step to the side so El could scoot out too.

Robin, Max, and El staggered onto the dancefloor and began moving their hips to the beat that surrounded them. Abby soon rejoined them, this time only carrying three glasses: one for herself, one for Robin, and one for Max, as El was still nursing her current vodka cranberry.

The girls danced together while sipping their drinks, and El couldn’t help but feel a smile tug at the corners of her lips. She was having fun, and she was too drunk to be disappointed in herself any longer.

Sure enough, after another song or two played, El saw a man come up behind each Robin, Max, and Abby, placing their hands on the girls’ hips and inviting themselves to dance along with them. It wasn’t long before El felt a pair of hands on her own waist, and she continued to move along to the song that was playing. Throughout the song, El sipped the rest of her vodka cranberry, and by the end of it, her eyes were drooping and she was leaning back against this guy for support. She suddenly spun around on her heel to face the man she had been dancing with, and she started laughing at the shocked look on his face at her sudden movement.

“Hi, there!” he laughed as El calmed down and placed her hands on his chest.

“Hello,” El smiled in return.

She tried her best to focus her eyes on his tan face. His striking blue eyes were set on her, and his arms were holding her in place while she swayed back and forth.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“El.”

“Nice to meet you, El. I’m Josh,” the guy replied.

“Nice to meet you, Josh. I’m El,” El slurred, leaning a bit too far to the right and losing her balance.

“Whoa!” Josh exclaimed as he caught her and steadied her on her feet again. “Hey, what do you say we get you some water?”

El nodded and wrapped one arm around Josh’s waist, allowing him to walk her up to the bar where he requested a large glass of water. With another look at the girl he was holding up, he quickly asked the bartender for a second glass of water. Carefully balancing both waters in one hand, Josh kept a firm grip on El’s shoulders while he walked her over to a smaller table than the one she and the girls had started the night at. He helped her in to one side of the booth, and then he took a seat opposite her.

“Here,” Josh said, pushing the first glass of water her way.

El reached out for the glass and carefully lifted it with both hands, tipping it against her mouth and guzzling the water out of it. After gulping down over half of the glass of water, she set it back down on the table and stared at Josh, slightly swaying in her seat.

“Better?” he asked.

“Good,” she nodded. El couldn’t remember a time in her life when water had tasted so heavenly.

“You’ll probably need more than just these two glasses,” Josh laughed. “You drink a lot tonight?”

“Long island… shot of whiskey… vodka cranberry,” El counted off slowly on her fingers. “That’s all.”

“Two mixed drinks and a shot? Sounds like someone’s a bit of a lightweight,” Josh teased “Are you out celebrating anything?”

“No… just a girls night,” El slurred, taking another large gulp of water.

“Ah… left the boyfriends at home to go out with the ladies?” Josh questioned, and El shook her head.

“No boyfriends… Well, Max kinda has a boyfriend. But he doesn’t really count all the time,” she shrugged. “And Robin… well, Robin doesn’t exactly like boys… if you know what I mean. And Abby… I don’t even know where to start with that one.”

“And what about you?” Josh asked. He waited while El took another long drink of water, finishing the first glass.

“Nope,” she said quietly, shaking her head.

Josh moved the empty water glass to the edge of the table and placed the second glass of water in front of El.

“I’ll get you a third one when this is half gone,” he said, gesturing toward the full glass of water.

“My stomach’s gonna pop if you keep forcing me to drink,” El sighed, rubbing her bloated stomach, and Josh couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’ll be thanking me tomorrow for hydrating you back up,” he smiled.

“Hmm,” El hummed. She lifted the second glass of water to her lips and took a couple sips, eyeing the guy across from her with narrowing eyes.

“What’s that look for?” Josh asked, running a hand through his blonde hair.

“You’re different,” El stated.

“How so?” Josh furrowed his brow.

El sighed, thinking about everything she had seen about men in bars on television and in movies. How they always seem to want the alcohol to keep flowing in the hopes of getting laid.

“Most guys force girls to keep drinking to get them drunk. You’re forcing me to drink to get me sober,” she explained with a chuckle.

“Well I figured sober would be the best way to get to know you,” Josh smiled. “It’s hard to hold a conversation with a girl who can’t stand up or keep her eyes open.”

“Hmm. Well, thank you,” El said.

“So, are you from here?” Josh asked casually.

El explained that she lived about an hour away and that she and her friends had made the drive over for a night out. She said that the four of them would be spending the night in a hotel close by. Nobody had ever confirmed that was the plan, but El was certain that it must be, considering none of the four of them would be in the condition to drive home. 

El learned that Josh, much like Robin and Abby, was a junior in college and was home for Thanksgiving break. He was studying photography, and El’s face brightened when she explained that her older brother Jonathan was also studying photography. They discussed Josh’s favorite scenes to photograph, and El shared how both of her brothers were gifted artistically, but she herself was more interested in literature than their type of art.

“I mean, I don’t know if stuff like that’s genetic, but it would make sense why Jonathan and Will are both so artsy, and I can literally only do stick figures,” she laughed. “They’re blood; I’m adopted.”

“Oh you’re adopted?” Josh asked, sounding interested.

El nodded her head and explained that both of her parents had passed away, so the woman she calls her mom took her in several years ago. When El fell silent, Josh was unsure of what to say, so he politely excused himself to grab her another glass of water from the bar.

“So, El, what’s that short for?” he asked as he sat down opposite her again.

“Huh?” El asked, taking a sip of water.

“Your name. El. What’s it short for?” Josh repeated. “Ellen? Elizabeth? Eleanor?”

Maybe we could call you El… short for Eleven.

“Uh… Eleanor,” she replied quietly. 

Josh scrunched his eyebrows in confusion at El’s sudden change in demeanor and waited patiently while she took another few gulps of water.

“Are you sobered up yet?” he asked gently.

“A lot more than before, that’s for sure,” El replied.

“Great,” Josh smiled, reaching across the table and placing his hand on El’s. “So, do you want to dance?”

I don’t know how.

I don’t either… Do you want to figure it out?

“El?” Josh asked, squeezing her hand to get her attention.

El suddenly jerked her hand out of his grasp and linked her hands together in her lap.

“Um… is everything okay? Did I say something wrong?” Josh asked.

“No… no, you didn’t,” El replied, shaking her head.

“If you don’t want to dance, we could just stay here and talk some more,” Josh suggested. “Or we could get out of here and go somewhere quieter. Hit up Waffle House or something.”

El looked up and met Josh’s eyes. In them, she saw he was being genuine. She had only spoken with him for an hour or two, but El sensed nothing but good things about him. He wasn’t like Brad who made her uncomfortable off and on for the months that they went out. El was certain that Josh was a good guy who could be very capable of making her happy if she gave him the chance. After all, it’s not like good guys didn’t exist. El knew plenty of genuinely good guys… Will, Jonathan, Dustin, Lucas… Sure, she never viewed any of them romantically, but logically El knew that plenty of guys out there were probably nice and genuine and wouldn’t try to harm her the way Brad did.

She offered Josh a small smile which he returned, his blue eyes sparkling under the lights from the bar that shone over his face to highlight his freshly-shaven, freckle-free cheeks and jaw. El would be lying if she tried to say she didn’t find Josh attractive. He was cute, he was studying something that she found interesting and that related to her brothers, he seemed really interested in getting to know her, and he even helped sober her up instead of taking advantage of the drunken state he had met her in. El knew she could take him up on his offer. She could keep getting to know him and really enjoy herself.

But she didn’t want to. Because as great as everything about Josh seemed, the one thing that was screaming loud and clear in her mind was that he wasn’t Mike.

“What do you say?” Josh asked again.

“I’m sorry, but no,” El said simply. “It was nice meeting you, but I’ve got to go.”

El stood from the table and walked away, not turning to see the confused young man she had left behind. She pushed past a few groups of dancing people until she rejoined Robin, Max, and Abby who were also no longer drinking but were dancing their hearts out. El grabbed Max by the elbow and got close to her ear to tell her that she was leaving, and then El walked away, heading briskly toward the exit.

When El stepped outside, she took a moment to breathe in the brisk, late November air, stretching her lungs inside her chest. She opened her eyes and started walking down the block with her mind focused on a bus station she had noticed out of the corner of her eye as she and the girls had walked to the bar from the car earlier in the evening. El had managed to walk half a block before the distant sound of Max’s voice calling her name reached her ears.

“El! EL!” Max yelled, and soon she caught up. “El, wait!”

Max grabbed El by the elbow and turned her around so they were facing each other. El noticed Max was holding her heels in one hand, which explained why the redhead was able to catch up with her so quickly. Looking over Max’s shoulder, El spotted Robin and Abby making their way down the sidewalk at a much slower pace.

“El, what’s wrong? What happened?” Max asked urgently. “I saw you talking to that guy for a while… Did he try to hurt you?”

“No,” El replied immediately, shaking her head. “He was really sweet. A perfect gentleman, actually.”

“That’s great!” Max exclaimed. “Are you planning to see him again?”

“No,” El repeated simply.

“Why not?” Max asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

“Because I don’t want to,” El said, and it felt freeing to voice something that she actually wanted or didn’t want instead of what she thought she should want or not want. “I don’t want to get to know him or anybody else.”

“I get it, you don’t want to meet someone at a bar-”

“No, Max, you don’t get it. You aren’t listening,” El said firmly. “I don’t want to meet someone at a bar. I don’t want to meet someone anywhere.”

“Then how… wait,” Max trailed off. “Oh my god. Seriously?! El, you cannot spend the rest of your life hung up on one boy you met when you were twelve. I mean, I’m sorry the first guy you went out with after Mike was shitty, but they won’t all be like that.”

“You’re still not listening!” El exclaimed. “There won’t be any others. I know there are plenty of guys out there who aren’t like Brad and who won’t do what he did to me. But they’re not what I want.”

“But how do you know that if you don’t give them a chance?” Max argued.

“I don’t need to give them a chance! I don’t care about playing the field or seeing what else is out there or whatever else you want to call it,” El cried, her face turning red in anger as Max wasn’t listening to what she was saying. “I want Mike. I love Mike.”

“Going back now before you’ve really enjoyed your freedom is a horrible idea,” Abby piped up from behind Max. “Don’t be stupid.”

“Stupid?” El repeated, glaring at the blonde over Max’s shoulder. “The only stupid thing I’ve done is take relationship advice from two girls who don’t know the first thing about a healthy relationship.”

“You think what you and Mike had was healthy?!” Max bellowed. “You were joined at the fucking hip! It was so rare for you to be able to go out somewhere without him. If you had never left Mike, what would you be doing right now? Sitting in his basement? Doing homework? Watching a movie? Sleeping?”

“Literally all of that sounds better than being here right now,” El retorted and Max recoiled with an offended look on her face. “I would take a movie night cuddled up with Mike over getting drunk in some stupid bar with a bunch of strangers any night! The fact that you don’t know that shows how little you really know about me.”

“You don’t mean that. I’m your best friend!” Max exclaimed.

“Then as my best friend, you should know this isn’t me! Going out dressed up like this? Drinking so much alcohol I can’t stand up straight? Breaking the law to be snuck into a bar?” El listed. “This is not me! And frankly, I didn’t think it was you, either.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Max demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I thought you cared about me more than this, Max,” El shouted, swallowing down the lump rising in her throat. “I thought you were trying to be a better friend and be more supportive of me. You know how to be so smart and responsible. But the second this girl who you barely know shows up, it’s like you turn into a completely different person.”

“That’s not true,” Max insisted.

“Yes it is! You act so different. I don’t know if it’s because you want to impress her or you want to be like her when you get out of Hawkins or whatever other reason. And honestly, I don’t care what the reason is. The point is, when Abby’s around, you’re a different person,” El spat, staring Max straight in the eyes.

“I don’t understand why it’s such a bad thing for me to try and break you two out of your shells a little bit,” Abby said, and El’s eyes shot over Max’s shoulder to the blonde who was speaking. “I was only trying to help you.”

“Help me?!” El repeated incredulously. “I lost the love of my life. I went out with some douchebag who would’ve raped me if I didn’t have my p… if I didn’t have enough strength to push him off. I’m out at a bar breaking the law and drinking underage when my father was a cop!”

“Wait, someone tried to rape you?!” Robin interjected, but El ignored her, still fuming at Max and Abby.

“If this is the life you want, Max, then more power to you,” El said as calmly as she could. “But this isn’t what I want. None of this was ever what I wanted.”

She turned around to cross the street.

“El, where are you going?” Max called after her.

“I’m going home. I’m taking the bus,” El called over her shoulder.

She ignored the cries of protest from Max behind her, and eventually they either stopped altogether or El walked far enough away that she was out of earshot. When she finally reached the bus station, El climbed on board and took a seat to herself near the back of the bus, leaning her head against the window. Her fight with Max replayed over and over in her mind, and El was surprised at everything she was feeling simultaneously. Angry, lost, confused… happy, relieved, free… The bus rumbled and pulled away from the curb, and El sighed and closed her eyes. She was going home. She knew what she wanted, but could she ever fix what she had done? She was ready to try.


	18. Chapter 18

Monday morning at school, Mike was at his locker getting ready for his first class when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist from behind and squeeze him in a tight hug. He turned around and looked down at Lindsey who smiled up at him and stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips.

“Hi,” she grinned.

“Hey,” Mike replied. “How was your trip?”

“It was fun. It’s always good to get to see my grandparents,” Lindsey sighed. “But I missed you.”

“Yeah, I missed you too,” Mike said.

“I wish we could’ve spent the day together yesterday like we talked about before I left for break,” Lindsey pouted, and Mike momentarily flicked his gaze over her shoulder, feeling awkward that she had brought this up so early in the morning, but not surprised. He should’ve been prepared for this.

“Uh, yeah, me too. I’m sorry about that. Nancy ended up staying a lot later than I thought she would, and you know how moms are about insisting on family time,” Mike stopped before it turned into a full-fledged ramble.

He didn’t want Lindsey to think he was lying to her. Well, he was lying to her. But he didn’t want her to think that. The truth was that Nancy had left Hawkins yesterday around noon, and Mike had spent the afternoon wrestling with the conflicting thoughts in his head. When Lindsey had called him around ten in the morning, bubbly and excited to see him again, he had apologized and told her his mom was making him spend the day with the family. There was no way he could have told her that his older sister, the one who Lindsey was so excited to meet some day, had advised him to strongly consider leaving her because he was still in love with his ex-girlfriend, and that he really just wanted the day to himself to try and figure out what to do. 

It’s not that he necessarily wanted to break up with Lindsey, but Mike knew that Nancy was right about this situation not being fair to Lindsey. He knew he wasn’t in love with her, and while she had not yet said anything about love either, Mike feared that it was coming. They had been dating for a few months, they were quite sexually active aside from the fact they weren’t having actual sex, and Lindsey had grown progressively more affectionate both in public and in private. Mike knew that she took his mind of off El, and he also knew that wasn’t a good enough reason to stay with someone. On the other hand, El didn’t want to be with him anymore, and even if she did, how would Mike be able to trust putting his heart back in her hands? 

“It’s okay,” Lindsey shrugged. “I understand family time. Clearly I just had a week of it forced on me. Do you want to do something after school today?”

“Um, I don’t think I have anything going on, so sure,” Mike replied.

He noticed Lindsey’s face fall at his lack of enthusiasm to spend time together, and he immediately felt guilty. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead which made a small smile return to Lindsey’s face.

“I’m sorry. Of course, I want to see you after school,” he said softly. “We can do anything you want.”

He leaned down to kiss her again before the two of them parted ways for their morning classes.

While Mike and Lindsey were reuniting, Max was walking down another hallway toward El’s locker. Saturday night after El had stormed away, Max, Robin, and Abby had gotten a room at a hotel. Abby, still rather drunk, had passed out rather quickly, but the next morning she had a lot to say about the way El had acted during their car ride back to Hawkins.

She had no right to go off on you like that.

Just because she’s miserable in her own life doesn’t mean she should try to bring everyone else down too.

You were only trying to help her, and she doesn’t deserve as good of a friend as you.

She’s gonna crawl back to that Mike kid, and he’s not even gonna want her anymore. I guarantee he’s already fucking somebody else.

Robin had shaken her head and countered a few of the things Abby said by stating that El was young and confused, or that Mike isn’t like that and he’s actually a good kid, or that Abby really doesn’t know El or Mike well enough to make those calls. She didn’t want to get into a full argument with Abby about it, as they still lived together, so Robin changed the subject after each time Abby would bring up El again. 

Max had sat quietly in the backseat, gritting her teeth while replaying her fight with El in her head. They had bickered before, but never anything like that. She couldn’t believe some of the things they had said to each other. Hearing Abby criticize El was only pissing Max off even more, so she tried her hardest to tune the girl out during the one-hour ride.

When they had gotten back to Robin’s house, Max had hurried up the stairs, tossed the clothes she had borrowed from Abby on Robin’s bed, grabbed her own belongings, and was headed toward the door while Abby and Robin were still in the foyer.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Abby had asked her.

“I just want to get home. It was fun, but it was a long night,” Max had replied.

“Sorry your friend had to ruin it,” Abby had said while rolling her eyes.

Max had shot Robin a look, and Robin had subtly shaken her head, clearly not wanting another argument to erupt. But Max couldn’t keep it in any longer. She turned to Abby and opened her mouth to speak, right as Abby did the same.

“When do you want to come visit for another weekend?”

“What?!” Max had exclaimed incredulously. “You think I would still come hang out after you spent all morning shit-talking my best friend?”

“I don’t think she’s your best friend anymore,” Abby had replied.

“If she isn’t, then that’s my fault, and I’ll do what I can to fix it. But how dare you sit there and call her a miserable person and a bad friend. She’s a much better friend than I am,” Max spat. She turned her attention to Robin who was watching with wide eyes. “Sorry, Robin. We can hang out whenever you’re in Hawkins, but not if you bring her.”

Then, Max had left without another word to or from Abby.

Now, she was nearing El’s locker, hoping that she would be willing to have a conversation about what happened. Max saw El close her locker door and turn to head toward her first class, so she called out El’s name to get her attention. El stopped and glanced around, looking for the direction her name had come from, and Max called out to her again, pushing past some of her classmates.

“El, wait,” Max said when she reached El in the hall.

“Leave me alone, Max,” El said, rolling her eyes and turning again to walk toward class.

“Please, I just want to talk about what happened,” Max pleaded, walking with El who refused to look at her.

“So you can berate me for still being in love with Mike? Tell me how bad of an idea it is to want to go back to him? Give me more advice on how to get over him when I don’t want to get over him, I want to be with him, but you just don’t understand that?” El asked, not slowing her pace.

“No, of course not. El, I want to apologize,” Max said.

At that, El came to a stop. Max noticed they were standing right outside of El’s first class of the day, but instead of going inside, El was seeming to wait for Max to continue.

“I should’ve done a better job of listening to you all along. You said you were happy with Mike and that you loved him, so I never should’ve put those doubts in your head. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard for you to go out with Brad. I shouldn’t have acted like such a jerk this weekend,” Max listed.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” El agreed coldly.

“And I’m sorry,” Max said. “I’ve been a shitty friend, and I know I said that before, but I don’t want to lose my best friend by not being the type of friend that you deserve.”

El considered Max’s apology. Max seemed genuine, but El couldn’t help but feel hesitant because of everything that had gone on between them. Then again, Max had gotten much more attentive to El’s feelings over the past several weeks. Until Abby came into town, of course.

“I don’t know, Max,” El sighed. “There’s just so much that happened, and-”

“I’ll make it up to you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do to prove that I’m sorry and that I’ll be a better friend. Just name it,” Max insisted.

El sighed again as the bell rang through the halls.

“Just let me think about it,” she said.

El walked into her classroom, and Max headed down the hallway to start her day, hopeful that El would accept her apology and start letting things get back to normal between the two of them.

El’s day was off to a decent start. At the beginning of each of her classes, she turned in the homework that she had completed while she was out, and her teachers all seemed understanding with her. She was able to avoid Brad all day, making brief eye contact with him when she happened to glance into a classroom he was in while walking down the hallway, but other than that, she had no interactions with him.

Mike had been on her mind throughout the day. She wanted to see him, as she hadn’t seen him in over two weeks. On the other hand, she was nervous about seeing him. Would Lindsey be with him? Would he even speak to her? She figured that even if she didn’t run into him in the hallways, she would definitely see him in the cafeteria at lunch. Unfortunately, her science teacher had other plans, as he instructed El to hurry and grab some lunch from the cafeteria and bring it to his classroom to eat while making up a test she had missed during the week while she was out.

El went the rest of the day without seeing Mike or Max for that matter, who apparently honored El’s request of letting her think about things. During her study hall at the end of the day with Dustin, El joined him at their usual table with a friendly smile.

“You look nice today,” Dustin said, and El glanced down at the skirt and sweater she was wearing.

“Thanks,” she smiled.

“How was your first day back? The new English class go okay?” Dustin asked eagerly.

“Everything was good,” El replied. “Well, except Mr. Snyder made me take my lunch in his classroom so I could make up a test I missed.” She and Dustin both rolled their eyes. “But other than that, I had a good day. Switching to a new English class was the right decision, for sure.”

“Great. I’m glad to hear it,” Dustin said excitedly.

The two of them worked on their schoolwork across from each other for the remainder of the class period, chatting here and there until the bell rang. El went directly to her locker and packed up what she needed for the evening, and when she closed her locker door, she briefly debated going to Mike’s locker to see him… just briefly… just to say hi and thank him for coming over that night… not to tell him she loves him or anything.

El sighed and started toward the parking lot, knowing that Mike would be with Lindsey, and if she were to try and talk to him, it would be easier without Lindsey being there. El didn’t know how much Lindsey knew about what happened when Mike came over, or if Lindsey even knew about Mike coming over, so she walked alone toward Will’s car to wait for him, deciding to try and pull Mike aside at some point tomorrow.

Meanwhile, after chemistry, Mike and Lindsey were at her locker about to leave school for the day, when Mike realized he forgot his notes for his calculus homework. He told her that he needed to go and grab something from his locker and that he would be back in a couple of minutes. 

As Mike was walking down the hallway, he saw Brad Connor at his own locker with three of his buddies from the basketball team. Mike clenched his fists at his side and kept walking, still seeing Brad’s smug smile out of the corner of his eye and his three friends laughed at whatever was just said.

“She’s back in school today. She fucking changed classes to avoid me,” Brad laughed, and Mike froze as the words hit his ears.

Brad was talking about El. Mike told himself to keep walking, just go to his locker and ignore the idiot behind him talking about his ex-girlfriend. But he couldn’t force himself to move forward, so he listened.

“Petty bitch,” one of Brad’s friends chuckled.

“Why was she gone all week anyway? She need that long to recover after you fucked her?” another chimed in.

“Probably,” Brad laughed. “She had the tightest pussy, and I fucking destroyed it. She couldn’t even stand up afterward.”

That was it. Mike spun around and stormed over to where Brad and his friends were crowded, glaring into Brad’s eyes as Brad watched with that same smug smile on his face.

“Oh, hey, Wheeler. Didn’t see you there,” he quipped, the corners of his lips curling into a bigger smirk.

“You need to shut the fuck up, Connor,” Mike spat. His hands were shaking as he pointed at Brad, and he was seeing red.

“Are you pissed that you’re not the only one who’s fucked El anymore? I mean, come on, man, I’m not mad at you for fucking my ex,” Brad sneered.

“Stop talking about her like that. You’re fucking disgusting,” Mike said firmly, clenching his fists so hard his fingernails were digging into his palms.

“Come on, it’s just simple locker room talk,” Brad shrugged, slowly circling around to Mike’s other side. “Not that you’d know anything about that, being such a fucking nerd.”

“I’d rather be a nerd than a fucking rapist,” Mike said venomously.

“What the fuck did you call me?” Brad asked, stepping closer.

“You never had sex with El. She didn’t want you. So you held her down and tried to force her until she threw you off,” Mike said. “Does that make you feel like a man? Acting like a nice guy and then forcing girls to do things they don’t want to do? Lying to your friends about it afterward? You’re so fuckin-”

Mike was cut off when Brad shoved him backward against the locker. His vision blurred as the back of his head collided with the metal door.

“…the fuck you’re talking about,” he heard Brad finish saying as the ringing in his ears stopped.

He didn’t have time to think about what happened next. Mike’s fist swung through the air and hit Brad square in the nose. Mike felt the crushing pain in his hand as he saw Brad double over, clutching one hand to his face. 

Then all three of Brad’s friends were on him. Mike felt one strong blow to the side of his face and then another in his stomach. He dropped to his knees and tried to protect his ribs which were now being kicked from both sides, but they didn’t stop until Brad ordered them to.

“Get him up,” Brad’s gruff voice demanded.

Two of Brad’s friends each grabbed one of Mike’s arms and lifted him up to his feet, keeping ahold of him as Brad inched closer to his face. Mike flinched as Brad reached around and grabbed a tight handful of his hair to steady his head so the two were at eye-level.

“I hope this was worth defending that bitch,” Brad snarled and dropped Mike’s head.

Mike felt one last blow as Brad’s fist hit his cheekbone, and then he was dropped to the floor as the four of them walked away.

“Mike!” Lindsey exclaimed, dropping to her knees next to him.

She had gone into the bathroom across from her locker when Mike had left to grab his calculus work out of his locker, so she had missed the entire altercation, coming out into the hallway to hear murmurs from the handful of students who hadn’t left yet and had witnessed the fight, and then to see her boyfriend curled on the floor with a blackening eye and a bloody lip and nose.

“What happened?” she demanded, brushing his hair away from his forehead.

“Holy shit,” Will muttered as he dropped his backpack on the floor and knelt down next to Lindsey. He was on his way out of the building to meet El at his car to head home when he saw Lindsey kneeling down in the hallway over someone’s body.

“I’m fine,” Mike wheezed, pushing himself up on one elbow then bringing a hand up to pinch his eyes closed as his head began spinning.

“No, you’re not fine, babe, just stay still,” Lindsey said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder before turning to Will. “Should we call someone?”

“No,” Mike said as Will opened his mouth to speak. “I said I’m fine… I just tried to get up too fast.”

He pushed himself up slowly and shakily made his way to his feet, ignoring the protests from both Lindsey and Will who stood up with him, holding their arms out to steady him if he started to fall, which he did not.

“See? Fine… Besides, I’ve had it worse than this before,” Mike muttered, though Will thought back to the last time Mike had been beaten up back in middle school, and Will couldn’t think of a time that he had actually gotten hurt this badly.

“Who did this?” Will asked.

Mike met his eyes and then looked down at the floor.

“Brad Connor and his buddies,” he replied quietly.

“Why?” Lindsey demanded, and Mike shrugged.

“He was running his mouth, and… I overheard some stuff and lost my temper. So he kicked my ass,” he explained.

Will looked past Mike, who was still staring at the floor, and saw the expression on Lindsey’s face. She wanted to know more. What had he overheard? What could Brad have said that was so bad that Mike stood up to not only him but also some of his friends? Lindsey pushed her curiosity to the side and took Mike’s hand in hers, placing her other hand on his back.

“Come on, let’s get you home and cleaned up,” she said softly, and Mike nodded.

Will accompanied them out to the parking lot and walked with them to Mike’s car, making sure Mike was situated in the passenger seat and that Lindsey had his car keys to drive them back to the Wheelers’ house. Lindsey thanked Will for his help, and Will told her to call him if she needed anything else. He then turned and walked through the rows of cars to his own, where El was sitting in the passenger seat reading a book.

“What took you so long?” she asked as Will climbed into the driver seat.

“Sorry,” he muttered, avoiding answering her question.

El looked over at Will while he exited the parking lot and started driving home. He was clearly distracted, and he wasn’t telling her about his day like he usual did.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Will looked over at El’s concerned expression and shook his head, sending her a forced smile.

“Nothing. End of the day was rough… dumb bullies. Nothing new,” Will said. He wasn’t completely lying.

“Did someone hurt you?” El asked, glancing over his face and not seeing any signs of injury. “Or threaten you? Is that stupid Zombie Boy name going around again?”

“Just drop it, El,” Will said firmly. “How was your day?”

“It was good,” El said after a moment of silence when she had debated whether to press Will any further or not. “I like my new English class a lot, and all my teachers were welcoming when I came back.”

“That’s good,” Will smiled, and El nodded.

“The best part is I made it the whole day without seeing Brad,” she continued, not missing the sharp intake of air from Will next to her. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t say I didn’t see him. I saw him in a class as I walked by, but he never said anything to me… I also didn’t see Mike, though. Was he at school today?”

“Yes,” Will replied shortly. “And that’s great that… that you didn’t see Brad, I mean.”

El studied his face again and was about to speak when Will shut off the car, having reached the house. Without another word, he grabbed his backpack and headed toward the house. El followed him inside, and after a brief greeting, Will walked past Joyce and down the hall to his room.

“How was your first day back to school?” Joyce asked excitedly from the couch, patting the cushion next to her for El to join.

“It was great. Thank you for getting me into a different English class,” El replied.

She bit her lip and looked down at her hands in her lap, and Joyce frowned at El’s hesitation to say anything more.

“El? Did something happen at school today?” Joyce asked gently.

“Well… not to me,” El sighed. “But, I think Brad might be bullying Will because of how things ended between us.”

“What?! Why would he do that?” Joyce asked.

“You didn’t see how angry Brad was when he left here that night,” El said. “And with Will being my brother, and…”

She trailed off, but Joyce nodded her understanding. She knew her son had always been a bit of an easy target, which is why she had always been so protective of him.

“Did he say something? Was he hurt?” Joyce asked, the concern growing in her voice at the prospect that her son may have walked past her with a blackening eye and she somehow missed it.

“Not that I could see,” El replied. “But he was late getting to the car after school, and when I asked what took so long, he just told me it was bullies. Then when I was telling him about my day, I mentioned that I made it through without running into Brad, and he tensed up.”

“Okay, well I’ll go talk to him and make sure he’s all right,” Joyce said, standing from the couch to join her son down the hallway.

Will was sitting at his desk in his bedroom, already working on his homework, when his mom knocked and opened his door.

“Hey honey, can I come in for a minute?” she asked gently.

Will turned and nodded, and Joyce crossed the room to sit on his bed, leaving the door cracked open.

Back in the living room, El could hear their muffled voices, but she was straining to hear their words. She was feeling a mixture of sadness, guilt, and anger at the idea that her brother could now be facing torment by the hands of Brad because of something that he had nothing to do with. She wanted to know what happened.

El stood from the couch and quietly tiptoed down the hallway toward Will’s door which was cracked open. She hovered against the wall, silently listening.

“I said it’s nothing, Mom. I just had a long day,” Will was saying.

“Will, you know you can tell me anything,” Joyce pressured gently. “El mentioned that you said something about bullies.”

“Well she shouldn’t have,” Will said quickly.

In the hallway, El flinched slightly at the harshness in Will’s voice.

“Don’t be angry with her,” Joyce said soothingly. “She’s worried about you, and if something’s going on, I want to know about it so I can help you.”

“Mom, I promise, there is nothing going on,” Will insisted. El could hear Joyce sigh.

“Okay, I’m just going to come out and ask you. Is Brad Connor bullying you because El broke up with him?” Joyce asked bluntly. El leaned a little closer during the long silence that followed.

“No,” Will finally said. “I’ll tell you what happened, but you’ve got to swear not to tell El.”

“Why?” Joyce asked.

“Just promise, Mom, that this will stay between you and me,” Will asked again.

“Okay,” Joyce relented. “Sure, honey, this can stay between you and me.”

El started to feel guilty listening in now, but she had to know what happened, and she knew now that Will and Joyce weren’t planning to tell her. So, she held her breath and listened.

“It wasn’t me, it was Mike,” Will began. “I didn’t see what happened, I just… saw him afterward. It was bad.”

In the hallway, El’s stomach dropped, and her throat started to close as her eyes stung with tears. She tried hard to steady her breathing, not wanting Joyce or Will to catch her eavesdropping.

“I was about to leave for the day, and I saw Lindsey crouched down on the floor over somebody. When I got closer, I saw it was Mike. Mom, his face… it was bad,” Will said. “He said he overheard something that Brad and his friends were saying, and he lost his temper and confronted them. And then they beat him up.”

“Oh my,” Joyce sighed. “Is he okay?”

“He said he was,” Will replied. “I walked them to his car, and Lindsey drove him home.”

“Why do you want to keep this a secret from El?” Joyce asked.

“Because, Mom, think about it. Mike came here that night after Brad left. He knows what Brad did. What’s the only thing he could’ve heard Brad talking about that would’ve made him confront the guy?” Will explained. “Mike wouldn’t tell me what Brad said, but I’m sure it was about El. And I just don’t want El to know that Mike got his ass kicked because he was defending her. She’s already been upset enough lately.”

“Honey, it’s very sweet of you to think like that, but what about when El and Mike’s paths cross at school and she sees him with a black eye?” Joyce pointed out, and there was silence from Will.

“I guess I hadn’t thought that far,” he admitted.

In the hallway, El had heard enough. She walked quietly to her own room and closed and locked the door behind herself. She sat on her bed, wiping the tears from her cheeks, though they were quickly replaced with more. Her stomach was sick. Mike didn’t deserve any of this. She had already hurt him enough herself, and now he was physically hurt too.

El sniffled and looked toward her dresser, particularly at the radio sitting on top of it, and a thought crossed her mind. Sure, she used her powers occasionally, but it had been a long, long time since she had gone into the void to find anybody. But the longing was there. She knew she couldn’t physically go to Mike’s house, but she needed to see him and know how bad it was.

She walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer, rummaging through the socks and underwear to the back corner of the drawer were her hands found the folded black handkerchief that she hadn’t used in so long. With the handkerchief in her hand, El grabbed the radio from the top of the dresser and sat down in the middle of her floor.

Her heart was racing as she turned on her radio and adjusted the volume so the static was just as she remembered. She took a deep breath to try and calm the butterflies in her stomach before tying the cloth around her eyes and squeezing them shut underneath the fabric. Then, she focused.

It took a few minutes, but soon, El found herself opening her eyes in the familiar black emptiness that was the void. She looked down to see the shallow water rippling over her toes, and she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that even after all this time, she still did it. El started walking forward, focused on finding Mike, and soon, she did.

Mike was standing in the bathroom in his basement over the sink with Lindsey next to him holding a wet rag. His cheek was still red, one eye was blackened, and his bottom lip was cut on one side. Lindsey held the cool cloth to his face, and El felt a pang of jealousy as she watched the girl delicately nurse him.

“Is it feeling any better?” Lindsey asked, and Mike just shrugged. 

“Will you please just talk to me?” Lindsey sighed, clearly exasperated. “Tell me what happened.”

“I got the shit beat out of me,” Mike stated, and Lindsey pursed her lips, growing annoyed.

“I want to help you and make you feel better. So can you please tell me why?” she asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mike muttered, shaking his head.

“You said you overheard something,” Lindsey recalled. “What could you have overheard that would make it worth confronting four guys by yourself?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mike repeated quietly, dabbing at his lip and tossing the bloodied gauze in the trashcan.

“Yes it does. Was he talking about me? Was he talking about… about El?” Lindsey asked.

Mike looked down at the sink, avoiding her eye contact, and Lindsey knew the answer to her question. She raised the cloth to his face again and moved it against his face with a bit more force, causing him to jump back slightly.

“Ow, hey, what was that for?” he hissed.

“Sorry,” she said curtly through pursed lips, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Wait… I just got my ass kicked, and now you’re mad at me?” Mike asked incredulously.

“I’m not mad at you, Mike, I just…” Lindsey sighed. “I’ve been patient the best that I could, but I thought this whole El thing would be behind us by now.”

“What whole El thing?” Mike asked, trying to calm himself. He was already angry enough about being beaten up, and he wasn’t liking where Lindsey was going with this.

“It’s like you’re not even trying to get over her!” she exclaimed, and Mike rolled his eyes and turned back toward the sink. “Don’t roll your eyes at me like that.”

“How can you stand there and say I haven’t tried?” Mike demanded.

“It’s like you’re still waiting for her to need you, and when she does, you drop whatever you’re doing at the snap of her fingers. Even if you’re with me,” Lindsey’s voice broke, and Mike hung his head, guilt creeping in once again.

“You spent a big chunk of homecoming staring at her. Then the second you got a phone call that she was crying – you didn’t even know why – you made me go home so you could run over to be by her side. And you lied to me about it,” Lindsey recalled tearfully. “And now, you overheard some jerk talking shit about her, so you put yourself in danger just to stick up for her! What am I supposed to think, Mike?”

“I don’t know,” Mike said, barely audible.

“That’s not good enough,” Lindsey shook her head. “You said you were ready to move on.”

“I know what I said,” Mike blurted out. “But maybe I was wrong.”

The silence that filled the room was deafening. Even El was holding her breath, forgetting that they couldn’t see or hear her from her place in the void. Lindsey laid the wet cloth on the counter and stormed from the bathroom into the basement, grabbing her coat.

“Linds, wait,” Mike said, walking after her.

“No, stop talking,” she said firmly. “We both need to calm down, so I’m going to leave before either of us say anything we’ll regret.”

She hurried up the stairs and slammed the basement door, leaving Mike alone.

Back at the Byers’ house, El pulled the handkerchief from her eyes and looked around her bedroom, wide eyed and breathing rapidly. She unplugged her radio, tossed her handkerchief aside, and hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. El grabbed the phone off the wall and quickly entered the familiar phone number, listening to it ring until she was connected.

“Max?” El said urgently. “I know what you can do for me now.”


	19. Chapter 19

The phone call to Max was quick and urgent, and Max was at the Byers’ house just fifteen minutes later to pick El up. El told Joyce in passing that she was going to hang out with Max for a bit, and then she was out the door. The drive was silent until they got to the quarry; El requested they go somewhere private to talk where she could also get some fresh air, so Max drove the familiar route to the top of the cliff.

When they arrived, she turned off the engine and looked at El expectantly, waiting for her to speak. El rolled down the passenger side window and leaned her head back against the seat, breathing in deeply the chilly air that rolled inside. Max shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her body, her concern growing for her friend whose eyes were now closed as she inhaled and exhaled deeply twice more.

El finally opened her eyes and sat up straight, rolled the window back up, and turned to face Max.

“Did you know Mike got beat up after school today?” she asked.

“What?! No! By who?” Max asked with wide eyes.

“Brad,” El replied simply. “I don’t know the whole story, but apparently Brad was saying some bad things about me to his friends, and Mike overheard and stood up for me, and Brad and his friends attacked him.”

“That’s terrible,” Max sighed, and El nodded in agreement.

“I need to talk to Mike. I need to apologize,” El stated firmly.

“Apologize for…?” Max trailed off, wondering if El was referring to the breakup entirely or something more specific.

“He wouldn’t have gotten hurt if it wasn’t for me,” El explained, her throat tightening. “I want to thank him for defending me and apologize for getting him hurt and… and I have a lot more to apologize to him about… I just need to talk to him.”

“I definitely agree that you guys need to talk,” Max began. “But, what about Lindsey?”

“Mike and Lindsey are over,” El said, taking Max by surprise.

“How do you know that?” she asked.

“Because I… I, um… I went into the void and went to see him,” El replied quietly.

“El…” Max sighed.

“I know, I know, I promised I wouldn’t spy, and I swear I haven’t for years,” El said quickly. “But when I found out what happened, I just had to see him. I needed to see him and see how bad it was, and it’s not like I could just show up at his door.”

“I know. It’s okay,” Max said soothingly. “So, what do you want me to do for you?”

“Take me to Lucas’s house and convince Lucas to get Mike to come over,” El replied. “I need to talk to him, and I can’t go to him, so I need him brought to me.”

“Don’t you think he’ll be pissed when he gets there and realizes it’s a trap?” Max asked carefully.

“Maybe. But if Lucas encourages him to listen and hear me out, I think I would have a good shot,” El said.

Max nodded, considering El’s simple request, and she chuckled lightly. El cocked her head in question at Max’s laugh.

“I’m just surprised,” Max said. “After hearing what Brad did to Mike, I thought you were about to ask me to help you get some sort of revenge on him.”

“Oh, that is definitely coming next,” El said quickly, her eyes flashing at the thought of what Brad did. “But my priority is Mike, and I need to talk to him first.”

Max nodded her understanding, and she drove the two of them to Lucas’s house. Lucas was surprised to see Max and El on his doorstep, but he let them in and brought them downstairs. El had asked Max to explain the majority to Lucas, as she still wasn’t entirely sure where she stood with him. She knew that she and Lucas were on better terms ever since the afternoon he had visited her with the rest of the party, but she also knew their friendship hadn’t completely been repaired. So, El sat in silence as Max explained to Lucas that Brad beat up Mike after school for defending El, and she watched the boy’s face grow from shocked to concerned to confused.

“Call Mike and ask him to come over,” El finally spoke, answering Lucas’s question of what they wanted him to do. “I need to see him, and I just need the chance to apologize f-for… everything.”

Max squeezed El’s shoulders as El took a deep breath and blinked back the tears that were stinging her eyes.

“I don’t know, El,” Lucas sighed. “I care about you, I do. But, Mike has been hurt enough the past few months, and he’s with Lindsey. I don’t want to risk starting more drama.”

“He and Lindsey are done,” El said. “I saw… in the void. Please don’t lecture me for that; I know I shouldn’t have spied on them, but I had to. And Lucas, I know he’s been hurting, and it’s all been because of me. That’s why I want to talk to him. I want to make things right and tell him how sorry I am and how much I love him, and I… I just need him back Lucas. Please.”

While El wiped her watery eyes, Lucas and Max shared a look of shock at El’s emotional plea. They silently agreed to help her.

“Okay, El, I’ll call him,” Lucas said gently. He crossed to the phone and dialed Mike’s number, and El listened as Lucas asked Mrs. Wheeler if he could speak with Mike.

“Hey, Mike, it’s Lucas… Look, do you think you could come over here for a little while? … I know, I j- … Okay, great. I’ll see you soon.”

Lucas got off the phone and nodded at El to confirm that Mike was on his way over.

“He told me he got his ass kicked today, so his mom has been fussing over him, and coming over will give him an excuse to get away from her for a while,” Lucas said and then chuckled.

“Do you know what you’re going to say to him?” Max asked El, knowing she only had a few minutes to prepare.

“I’m just going to apologize and hope he forgives me,” El said quietly, and Max could read the insecurity in her eyes.

“I’m sure he will,” Max assured her, squeezing her shoulders as Lucas nodded his agreement.

A few minutes later, the three of them heard Mrs. Sinclair open the door, and El held her breath at the unmistakable sound of Mike’s voice greeting their friend’s mother. She heard footsteps crossing the floor until the door at the top of the stairs opened, and Mike started coming downstairs.

Halfway down the stairs, Mike saw Lucas sitting on the arm of the couch, but when he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw that the two of them were not alone. El was sitting on the middle cushion with Max’s arm around her shoulders, and Mike held her gaze long enough to register that she had noticed his black eye and split lip. He turned toward Lucas, feeling slightly embarrassed that El had seen him like that.

“What is this?” Mike asked.

“Mike, she just wants to talk,” Lucas said, standing from his place on the arm of the couch and walking toward his friend.

“So this is why you called me over here?” Mike asked, knowing the answer.

“Listen, I really think you should hear her out,” Lucas admitted.

Mike sighed, feeling a little betrayed that Lucas had lured him into this situation. On the other hand, he knew Lucas had been the most loyal throughout the past few months, and if he was saying that Mike should listen, maybe he should after all. He looked over at El who hadn’t taken her eyes off of him since he arrived, and he could see so many emotions staring back at him, but the one written all over her face was sadness.

“Mike, please?” she asked in a small voice that instantly softened him.

He looked at her pleading puppy dog eyes staring up at him, and he felt the same urge that he had a couple weeks ago in her room when she had asked him to spend the night with her. He wanted to cross the room, pull her into his arms, and not let her go until all her pain was gone. But just like that night, he resisted. He did, however, decide that he could at least hear what she had to say.

“Okay,” Mike relented with a nod.

Max stood from her spot next to El and gave her best friend’s hand a squeeze to encourage her and wish her good luck. She offered Mike a small smile as she walked by him to join Lucas, and then Max and Lucas were heading upstairs, leaving Mike and El alone in the basement.

El cleared her throat and patted the spot next to her on the couch.

“Do you, uh, want to sit down?” she asked.

“Oh, sure,” Mike replied.

He crossed the room and sat next to her on the couch, careful not to look at her too long, especially because she seemed to refuse to look away from him. Mike rested his elbows on his legs and linked his hands together, staring at them, but he could feel El’s eyes burning into the side of his face. Of course, it was the side that had withstood the damage from this afternoon.

“Mike, I don’t know where to start,” El finally said.

She hesitantly raised her hand and reached out to him, her fingertips grazing his discolored cheekbone, and Mike inhaled sharply, his whole body instantly tensing up at her touch.

“Does it still hurt?” she asked.

“It’s not too bad anymore,” Mike replied, leaning away from her touch.

El felt a pang in her chest as he moved away from her fingers, but she knew it had been bold of her to try and touch him in the first place. She lowered her hand back to her lap and subtly scooted a fraction of an inch closer, aching to close the gap between them even just a little bit.

“I am so sorry that Brad did this to you,” El said. “I had no idea this would ever happen.”

“It’s no big deal,” Mike shrugged, still refusing to meet her gaze.

“Yes, it is a big deal,” El countered, scooting just another inch his way. “You got hurt because you defended me, and I’m sorry. And I also wanted to say… thank you… for defending me. After everything I’ve done, you… Thank you.”

She sniffled and blinked back the tears that were threatening to seep out. She couldn’t start crying just yet, not before she said everything she wanted to say.

“El, you don’t have to thank me for anything,” Mike said. “I would do it all again.”

El let the magnitude of Mike’s words sink in. He would willingly take another beating if it meant sticking up for her. She clenched her teeth, the anger suddenly returning as she stared at Mike’s blackened eye.

“We’re gonna get back at him for this,” she said firmly, causing Mike to finally look at her in shock.

“What?!” he asked.

“He can’t just get away with doing this to you,” El stated.

“El, no. Nobody is going to do anything to get back at Brad. What he did to me is nothing compared to what he did to you, and no one else needs to be hurt by that guy,” Mike said.

“Then we can go to the principal’s office first thing tomorrow morning. The principal, the basketball coach… They’ll see firsthand what he did to you, and Brad and those other guys can get removed from the team, or suspended, or both!” El suggested.

“That’s not how it works, El,” Mike said, shaking his head.

“Why not?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“They’re jocks. They’ll automatically be believed over me,” Mike explained. “Plus, there are four of them, and all four of them would tell the same story which is that I threw the first punch… which I did.”

“You did what?!” El exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“Brad shoved me against a locker, and then I hit him. Once. Then they all ganged up on me,” Mike recalled the day’s earlier events, and shock was written all over El’s face at the admission that Mike actually punched Brad first. “But trust me, the point is, there is no way Brad and his friends will get in trouble for this. This is how it works. It’s best to just let it go.”

El nodded, filled with sadness from the realization that Mike was right and that he knew this from past experience. She decided to drop this issue with Mike, but El knew that she and Max would find another way to get back at Brad for what he had done.

“You may be right,” she said softly. “But this never should’ve happened. And I’m just so sorry.”

El slowly reached over and put her hand on his, and while she still felt him tense up, he did not pull away this time.

“You never should’ve gotten hurt, Mike. And I don’t just mean with Brad today,” she said. “I know I hurt you so badly, and I am so sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you; I’m sorry for listening to Max and Abby. I’m just sorry for everything.”

Mike silently studied her face. He saw the tears brimming her lower lids, and he saw her forehead scrunched in concern. Her eyes were overflowing with regret and sincerity, and Mike instantly believed that she was sorry.

But he still just had to know.

“Why did you listen to Max and Abby?” he asked. El inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath before answering.

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “Somehow, they just got all these doubts in my head, and I didn’t want either of us to wonder if we missed out on anything else.”

“Did you ever feel like you were missing out on something else when we were together?” Mike asked.

“No,” El whispered as the first few tears spilled onto her cheeks.

“Then why did you listen to them?” Mike repeated.

“I d-don’t know,” El whimpered as more tears fell down her face. “I wish I knew, b-but I don’t, and I’m s-sorry. But I know I n-never should’ve l-listened to them, and I n-never should’ve broken up with you. And I w-wish I could go b-back and change everything, Mike, but I c-can’t, and I’m sorry.”

Mike sighed, instantly feeling like an ass for pushing her that far. He knew he was justified, but that didn’t soften the blow of watching El break down in front of him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and lifted his other hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“Hey, hey, shh, don’t cry,” Mike soothed her.

He gently wiped the rest of the tears from her face and waited patiently while she calmed down. Her hiccups and shudders came to an end after a few moments, and Mike slowly pulled his arm back from around her shoulders.

“I just wish that once these doubts got in, for whatever reason, you would’ve just talked to me about it instead of hiding it from me for two weeks and then breaking up with me,” Mike explained.

“I’m sorry,” El whispered. “I wish I would’ve too.”

Mike noticed her eyes glistening and wondered if it was from the tears or from the light reflecting off of them. He looked away from her again, and El immediately moved her hand back to his.

“Mike, you… you mean the world to me, and I am so sorry that I hurt you. You didn’t deserve it, and I didn’t deserve your kindness when you came over that night… It was amazing of you to come over when Brad did what he did to me,” El said, squeezing his hand. “And I’m sorry for cornering you with those questions about Lindsey. It wasn’t my business… It’s just that I never thought you could be happy with a girl who wasn’t me.”

She finished that thought timidly, and after a moment, Mike chuckled.

“To be honest, I never thought I could be either,” he admitted. “And I never really answered those questions.”

Mike shifted slightly to face her better, and El moved another inch closer. He watched the anticipation in her big brown eyes as she waited for him to speak. The moon shining through the window mixed with the light from the lamp in the room was creating a sort of glow around El’s brunette hair that fell loosely over her shoulders, and her lips were parted ever so slightly while she watched him. God, did she look beautiful.

“So, uh, to answer them,” Mike continued lowly. “No, I’m not in love with her. And no, I haven’t had sex with her.”

She couldn’t help the corners of her mouthing tugging into a warm smile at his admissions.

Mike sat, staring deep into her eyes, telling himself to look away, but being completely unable. He hadn’t felt this close to her in months, and all he felt was a desperate longing to crash his lips into hers, feel her tongue meshing with his own, grasp her soft skin while she grinded her hips into his. Mike wanted her, even though he knew he shouldn’t. And he could see in her brown eyes looking back at him that she wanted him too.

El scooted even closer to him on the couch, inadvertently hiking her skirt up her thighs, and she gently raised one hand to the side of his head and let her fingertips toy with the ends of his hair.

“El…” Mike whispered. He knew he needed to look away from her and break the trance that she had over him, but no matter how hard he tried, he was lost in her familiarity. Her scent, her big brown eyes staring at him in adoration, the feel of her hand in his hair. Mike wanted nothing more than to give in to his desires, wrong as they may be.

“Shh,” El answered, almost as if she were trying to quiet the battle in his head.

She placed her hand on the back of his neck, and before Mike knew it, the space between their mouths disappeared. He placed a hand just above El’s bare knee and began rubbing her soft skin while she wrapped both her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. El parted her lips and let Mike’s tongue hungrily explore her mouth. She moaned into his open mouth, and Mike’s grip on El’s leg tightened.

In an instant, Mike was leaning forward against her to lay El back onto the couch, positioning himself on top of her. El moved her hands down from his neck until she found the hem of his shirt and slipped underneath, her hands against his bare back soothing the ache she had to simply feel his skin against hers.

Mike traced his hand up El’s inner thigh which was completely exposed since her skirt had ridden up when Mike laid her down. His fingertips reached her panties, and he groaned into her mouth when he realized he was touching lace instead of the simple cotton he had been expecting. El couldn’t help but smirk against his lips and buck her hips up to meet his.

El’s hands were suddenly working to unfasten Mike’s jeans, and she was quickly shoving his pants and underwear down his legs, freeing his hard dick which El felt warmly against her leg. With a low growl, Mike looped two fingers through El’s panties, causing her to gasp when his knuckles brushed against her aching pussy, and pulled them roughly to the side. Then, without hesitation, Mike buried his entire length inside of her in one swift thrust, succumbing to the overwhelming longing to be inside her.

“Fuck,” he breathed against El’s lips, squeezing his eyes closed in ecstasy as his cock was welcomed warmly back by El’s tight walls.

She wrapped both of her legs around Mike’s hips, tightly holding his body against hers, and angled her hips upward to accept him in as deep as he could go. Her hold on him did not loosen, and Mike was barely able to pull back as he thrusted between her legs. He nuzzled his face into the crook of El’s neck and latched on to a spot an inch above her collar bone. His hand slid up her shirt, over El’s flat stomach, and squeezed her breast hard while he continued to suck her neck and pound into her tight pussy.

Beneath him, El was writhing. Her back was arched, and her legs remained wrapped tightly around Mike’s hips, forcing him deep inside her hole. She dug her nails deeper into the skin on Mike’s back with each punishing thrust that he pounded into her. With her arms and legs all wrapped around his body, she wanted nothing more than to keep him this close to her. Underneath his weight, wedged between him and the couch cushions, she felt at peace. She was safe and warm and full. El never wanted this to end.

“You feel so amazing,” Mike moaned against her shoulder, his face still buried in the crook of her neck while his thrusts picked up speed.

“Yes,” El whimpered, closing her eyes. “Oh god… faster, baby, please.”

Mike did what El requested and fucked her even faster into the couch cushions. His eyes were closed, and he was completely lost in the feel of her tight wet pussy, her hot breath on his neck, the sting of her fingernails on his back. He felt the explosion coming, and he squeezed El’s tit so hard she squealed. Mike latched back on to that spot on her neck and dug his teeth in as his cum erupted inside of El. As his ears began to ring, all he heard was El crying out his name over and over again.

Right as Mike began to unload inside of her, El’s pussy clenched around his dick, and her body clenched tightly around his while her vision went white. She squeezed him so tightly against her, it was like she was actually trying to become one with him while she rode out her own orgasm as he was filling her with his.

El started coming back to her senses, and sadness slowly crept in, eclipsing the euphoria, when she realized it was coming to an end. She didn’t want to release the tight hold she had on Mike, but she knew she had to when he started pushing himself up on his elbows.

He looked down at her, and El could feel him trembling as he took heavy breath after heavy breath. She reached up and ran her hand through his thick dark hair. Suddenly, El saw the expression on Mike’s face quickly change to guilt as he realized what he had just done. His breaths became shallow and rapid, and El furrowed her brow in concern.

“Mike,” she said, running her fingers down his cheek.

“Shit,” Mike whispered, and El could hear the guilt even in that one simple syllable.

He quickly pushed himself off of her and pulled his underwear and jeans back up, fastening them with shaky hands while El sat up quickly on the couch.

“Mike, wait,” she said, reaching out for him.

“El, I’m sorry, I…” he shook his head and pulled away from her touch. “I’ve got to go.” 

El watched as he hurried back up the stairs, not looking back at her once, and waited until she heard the door close before covering her face with her hands and letting the tears fall once again. She heard the door open and looked up, briefly thinking that maybe Mike changed his mind and decided to come back, but when she saw two pairs of feet descending, she knew it was only Lucas and Max.

“El, what happened?” Max asked immediately, rushing to sit next to El on the couch.

“Yeah, Mike bolted out of here,” Lucas added.

“We… messed up,” El said quietly through her tears.

Max furrowed her brow and looked quickly between El and Lucas.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I didn’t mean to, I just… we got carried away, and I swear I only planned on talking to him, but,” El sniffled. “We ended up having sex… I started it, and I shouldn’t have.”

“You had sex on my couch?” Lucas asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“Well, I mean, you did talk some, right? Before…?” Max asked gently, ignoring Lucas who was listening with a grimace on his face.

“Y-yeah,” El whispered.

“And you got to apologize for everything?” Max continued, and El nodded. “Then what’s the matter? Why are you crying, and why did he leave like that?”

“Because we shouldn’t have… because of Lindsey,” El admitted softly.

“Wait. You said Mike and Lindsey were over. You said you saw it in the void,” Max reminded her, confused.

“They… they’re pretty much over,” El hesitantly said.

“What does that mean?” Max asked slowly. “El, what exactly did you see?”

“She accused him of not being over me, and she told him he said he was ready to move on,” El recapped. “And Mike said he knows he told her that, but that maybe he was wrong. Then Lindsey stormed out of the house.”

“El,” Max groaned. “That doesn’t mean they broke up.”

“Maybe not officially,” El said indignantly.

“So why did you tell us they did?” Max asked.

“Because I swear I wasn’t planning on doing anything with him. I just wanted to talk to him, and Lucas almost said no to bringing Mike over here because he didn’t want to start drama with Lindsey-”

“Look how that turned out,” Lucas sighed.

“I’m sorry. I just thought if I could talk to him, I could apologize for everything, and…” El trailed off.

“And he would break up with Lindsey, officially, since they just had that big fight? He would realize she’s right that he’s not over you?” Max asked gently.

El didn’t respond, but a sob shook her body as more tears escaped. Max sighed and draped her arm around her friend’s shoulders, hugging her tightly.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you guys the whole truth from the beginning,” El said.

“Yeah, you should’ve,” Max agreed before continuing hesitantly. “But, if Mike and Lindsey’s fight was really that bad, they were probably close to breaking up… especially if Lindsey really believes he isn’t over you. No girl would want to feel like they’re in second place in their own relationship.”

“Even so, you still should’ve waited until the breakup was official,” Lucas pointed out. “Because now, even though Mike and Lindsey were on bad terms, and even if they may have broken up tomorrow, they were still technically together today. And that means Mike cheated on her. And you know that’s unlike him, and he’s going to do nothing but beat himself up over this for god knows how long.”

El groaned and buried her face in her hands again, knowing Lucas was right, and feeling horrible for initiating something that is only going to result in even more pain for Mike.

“I really messed up… again,” she mumbled.

“Yeah, you did. But Mike did too. You can’t blame only yourself for this one,” Lucas said.

El nodded and stood from the couch.

“Thanks, guys. I really am sorry I wasn’t completely honest with you,” she said. “I just want to go home and shower and go to sleep.”

Max agreed. She gave Lucas a hug and kiss goodbye, and then she and El left for the night.

Meanwhile, Mike had returned to his house several minutes ago, but instead of going inside, he chose to stay outside and breathe in the fresh cold air. How could he have let things get so fucked up? He could’ve looked away, he could’ve moved, he could’ve gotten up and walked out of her reach. But he didn’t, and Mike knew in that moment he hadn’t wanted to either. 

He knew he still loved El. He had admitted that to himself and to Nancy, but not to Lindsey or to El. But that doesn’t excuse what he did. Mike had let his hormones and his yearning for El make the decisions tonight, and he did something that he never thought he was capable of doing. Mike never imagined he could be unfaithful in a relationship, even if that relationship was rocky at the moment.

A wave of nausea set in as Mike realized he had to tell Lindsey what happened. There was no way around it. He fucked up worse than he ever thought he would, but he had a responsibility to be honest with her. She would probably hate him and scream at him and tell him she was right. This would be proof in Lindsey’s eyes that Mike was never getting over El. This would be proof to Nancy and Will and whoever else had ever called Lindsey a rebound. 

Not knowing what else to do, Mike walked inside and started upstairs. He hung his head in annoyance when his mom called his name from the living room.

“Yeah?” he asked, stepping off the staircase and peaking around into the living room.

“Lindsey called for you. She wants you to call her back,” Karen said.

“Thanks, Mom,” Mike mumbled before turning back to the stairs.

Shit. Of course Lindsey called for him. She probably wanted to apologize for accusing him of not trying and offer to talk things out. Mike laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, dreading school the next day when he would have to see the look on her face when he tells her what he did. He knew he couldn’t call her back tonight. He couldn’t discuss their fight and listen to her apologize to him and ask how he was feeling and all the other sweet things she would say. So he closed his eyes and let his mind run wild, trying to find the words to say to her tomorrow, until eventually he fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

“What is the matter with you?” Lucas scolded suddenly, startling Mike and causing him to jump.

Mike turned around to see his friend standing with a disapproving look on his face, and he knew instantly that El had told Max and Lucas what had happened. He sighed and closed his locker door, starting to walk away.

“I’m not in the mood, Lucas,” he said, shaking his head.

“If you would’ve said those same five words to El last night, you wouldn’t be in this mess,” Lucas quipped, walking alongside him.

“Is this a joke to you?” Mike asked, growing irritated.

“No, it’s not. I just want to know what the hell you were thinking,” Lucas replied.

“I wasn’t,” Mike said honestly. “We were just talking. I was hearing her out like you told me to-”

“And that is all that I told you to do,” Lucas interjected.

“I know,” Mike said. “I’m not blaming this on you or anyone else. I should’ve stopped it.”

“Yeah, you should’ve,” Lucas stated obviously. He saw the guilt on Mike’s face and decided to back off a bit, not wanting to make him feel even worse about something that he can’t go back and change. “So what are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to talk to Lindsey and tell her everything,” Mike replied. “She deserves to know we’re not on the same page, and she deserves to be with someone who can be what she needs.”

Lucas nodded, satisfied that even though Mike messed up, he is taking responsibility and finally being honest with Lindsey.

“And what about El?” he asked.

“What about El?” Mike repeated.

“What does this mean for you guys?” Lucas clarified.

“I don’t know,” Mike sighed. “I mean, last night she did most of the talking, which was basically just her apologizing for everything. We didn’t get into how I feel about anything, and honestly, there’s a lot I would need to tell her before even considering getting back together.”

“Are you gonna try and talk to her soon?” Lucas asked.

“I don’t know. I really haven’t thought much about it. The only thing on my mind this morning has been what I’m going to say to Lindsey,” Mike explained. “But I haven’t seen her yet today.”

Mike had been expecting Lindsey to be at his locker before school started, especially since he hadn’t returned her phone call last night. He thought surely if she had wanted to apologize and talk about their fight from yesterday, she would be waiting there for him. But she hadn’t been. He figured he would be able to talk to her during their lunch period.

While he hadn’t seen Lindsey yet, he had seen El a handful of times, which he found strange. He never saw her as often as he did this morning. Was she trying to talk to him? Or see if he and Lindsey were together? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he wasn’t ready to deal with El yet, so each time he saw her approaching, he would turn the corner into another hallway or walk in a different direction. He had to handle things with Lindsey before he could worry about things with El.

“Well, good luck. Let me know how it goes,” Lucas said, his expression turning forlorn. “It does really suck. I really like Lindsey.”

“Yeah, so do I,” Mike agreed, the guilt thick in his voice, knowing that he was going to hurt someone that he cared about.

The rest of the morning classes passed, and Mike was walking to his locker to put his books away before lunch. He was expecting Lindsey to meet him there, and as he turned the corner and his locker came in to view, he did see someone waiting for him. But it wasn’t Lindsey.

He locked eyes with El and briefly considered turning around and just going to the cafeteria, but he decided against it and walked right up to her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Why are you avoiding me?” El countered.

“You can’t be serious,” Mike said, shoving his books in his locker and slamming the door shut.

“I am serious,” El replied. “We can’t keep doing this thing where you come over, something happens, and you run away from me. We need to talk about what happened.”

Mike looked around hurriedly before grabbing her wrist and pulling her across the hall into an empty classroom.

“Why in the world do you think we need to talk about this right now?” he asked in an urgent but hushed tone, not wanting anyone outside the room to overhear.

El looked tired. Mike was sure she’d had trouble sleeping last night after what they did, but it looked deeper than that. Like she hadn’t been well rested in days, maybe weeks. Her eyes were sad; he saw hints of hope and confusion, but mainly sadness. But when she spoke, her voice was firm and steady.

“We need to talk about what this means for us,” she said.

“What?” Mike asked, staring at her in disbelief. “El, I can’t do this right now. I can’t think about what it might mean for us when all I can think about is what I did to Lindsey.”

El flinched just barely at the sound of Lindsey’s name coming out of Mike’s mouth. Of course he still cared about her. And El worried he was letting the guilt consume him like Lucas warned that he would.

“It isn’t just what you did. It’s what we both did,” she offered gently, trying to take some of the burden off him.

“No, El, it’s what I did,” Mike repeated. “I’m the one still seeing someone else, and it was up to me to think about her feelings, even though things were rocky at the time, but I didn’t.”

There was silence between them as El molded over what he said. She noticed that Mike admitted things with Lindsey weren’t on good terms… Should she tell him she already knew that? Should she tell him what she saw? It would show him that she understood and that she knew Mike was struggling with his feelings for both her and Lindsey. But it would also probably make him mad. El decided now was not the time to reveal what she had seen.

“So, do you regret it?” El asked meekly, almost as if she feared his answer.

“El,” Mike sighed and rubbed his eyes, trying to think of how to carefully answer her. “I could never regret anything that you and I have done together.”

El bit her bottom lip and held her breath, feeling the ray of hope forming from his words but not yet wanting to give in to it, because she was sure he had more to say.

“But this time, last night, it shouldn’t have happened,” Mike continued.

El exhaled the breath she was holding and felt a lump rise in her throat as her eyes began to well with tears. She began fumbling with the end of the scarf she was wearing, and when it shifted on her neck, Mike caught a glimpse of the dark hickey and unmistakable bitemark that he had left on her last night. He cleared his throat and looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed.

“Lindsey and I… it’s complicated… I don’t think we’ll be together much longer. Even before you and I did what we did,” Mike admitted. “But I still should’ve controlled myself better. I should’ve waited until things were official and I wasn’t with her anymore… Because now things are just so fucked up, and I can’t believe I cheated on her, and that makes me such a shitty person, and-”

“Mike,” El stopped him. He took a deep breath, his heartrate racing from working himself up, and looked at her. “You are not a bad person. You’re the best person I know. Everyone makes mistakes-”

“That’s just an excuse, El,” Mike interrupted, rejecting that notion. “I’ve made mistakes before, but I never would’ve cheated on you. So how could I cheat on her? … This is the worst thing I’ve ever done to another person, and I need to own up to it and talk to her because I’m literally sick to my stomach over this, and I can’t keep lying and hurting her when she did nothing to deserve any of this.” 

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Mike saw someone else fill the open doorway of the room he and El were in. He turned to see Lindsey looking at him with a mixture of confusion, hurt, and anger. His stomach sank as he wondered how much she had heard, if anything.

“What’s going on?” Lindsey asked, looking back and forth between Mike and El.

“Nothing,” Mike instinctively answered, his eyes nervously shooting toward El’s neck to ensure the evidence from last night was properly covered by her scarf again. Lindsey noticed him divert his gaze and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“I should go,” El said quietly.

“I think you should,” Lindsey agreed curtly, and she stepped to the side so El could pass.

When it was just the two of them, Lindsey stared at Mike with her lips pursed and her arms crossed, waiting for him to speak. Mike’s head was buzzing with everything he knew he had to admit to, but he just couldn’t find the words to start.

“What are… what are you, uh, doing in here?” he stammered distantly, wanting to break the silence.

“I was hoping to catch you at your locker because I thought we could talk during lunch since you didn’t call me back last night. I’m assuming your mom didn’t tell you I called?” Lindsey asked bitterly, but Mike knew Lindsey didn’t really think that.

“No, she did,” Mike admitted.

“Then why didn’t you call me back? And what the hell were you and El talking about?” Lindsey asked, her voice starting to tremble with anger. “Did she hear that Brad beat you up? Was she trying to get back together with you?”

“Look, we really need to talk, and I’ll tell you everything. I promise. Just not here,” Mike said, trying to hide the fact that his stomach was doing flips inside him.

“Well, I’m not waiting until after school. I think I deserve some answers,” Lindsey insisted.

Mike knew she was right, and the two of them decided to walk out to his car so they could speak privately, uninterrupted. The walk to the parking lot was silent, but the tension was deafening. Mike hoped that he would actually just throw up so his stomach would calm down, but he swallowed down each wave of nausea. Lindsey walked right beside him but refused to look his way. He had never seen her angry like this before, and Mike had to wonder if she had actually overheard anything. If she hadn’t overheard, would she really be this angry to see him talking to El?

They reached his car and got inside, Lindsey slamming the passenger side door a little harder than necessary, but Mike hardly flinched. He was staring at the dashboard, still trying to put the words together.

“Well?” Lindsey asked expectantly, her eyes widened.

“Linds, I’m sorry I didn’t call you back last night,” Mike started carefully. “It’s just that I couldn’t talk about our fight last night… I know you probably wanted to apologize, but I couldn’t let-”

“I wasn’t calling to apologize, Mike,” Lindsey interrupted him.

“You… you weren’t?” Mike asked, scrunching his brow in confusion.

“No. I was calling to…” Lindsey sighed and looked him straight in the eyes. “I was calling to give you an ultimatum.”

“An ultimatum?” Mike repeated, and Lindsey nodded.

“I know that sounds really immature and totally not like me at all, but I can’t do this anymore, Mike. I’ve tried so hard, and I’ve done my best to be patient and be there for you after El dumped you and help you move on,” Lindsey said. “But last night when I got home, I kept thinking about what I said to you in your basement, and I know I’m not wrong. The way you looked at her at homecoming, the way you needed to be there for her when Brad hurt her, the way you let yourself get beat up standing up for her… you wouldn’t do that if you were over her. Or if you were even trying to get over her.”

“Lindsey, I-”

“No, let me finish. I was going to tell you that I’m done being patient,” Lindsey continued. “If you really want to be with me, El cannot be a part of our lives anymore. I need you to cut all ties with her. I don’t want you to talk to her, or talk about her, or talk to your friends about her. I want you to be able to hear some random person say her name in the hallway and just keep walking without a second thought. I want you to leave her completely in the past so she stops interfering with our present and future. I was going to tell you all of that, and I was going to tell you… I was going to tell you that if you can’t do that… if you can’t choose me over her, then we’re done.”

Mike stared at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging slightly open. She hadn’t been calling to apologize at all. He had been wrong this whole time.

“You were going to break up with me?” Mike asked, and Lindsey sighed, exasperated.

“I don’t want to break up with you, Mike,” she said. “But if you’re not willing to do all those things for me and completely cut her out of your life…”

Mike nodded and thought about the ultimatum Lindsey presented him with. He cursed the irony that he had been expecting her to want to apologize to him about what she had said in the basement, when in actuality, she had been calling with non-negotiable conditions for him to follow if he wanted to relationship to even continue. She was ready to walk away from their relationship because of El. Essentially, their relationship started because of El, and it was about to end because of El.

“There’s something I have to tell you,” Mike said, and he noticed the anger in Lindsey’s eyes had almost completely subsided and been replaced with pain.

“You can’t do it, can you?” she asked. “You can’t just let her go.”

“Lindsey, there’s a reason I didn’t call you back last night,” Mike continued slowly. “There’s a reason I couldn’t bear to talk about our fight or listen to you apologize to me, which is what I thought you wanted to do.”

When he paused and looked at her, Mike saw the pain in Lindsey’s eyes slowly start to become eclipsed by anger once again. Her expression hardened, and she swallowed a lump in her throat while balling her fists, digging her fingernails into her palms.

“What is it?” she asked shakily. 

Mike took a deep breath and exhaled, not taking his eyes off Lindsey. The realization had sunk in that this was the last conversation she would probably ever have with him. They were within the last few minutes of Lindsey being his girlfriend, and it was about to end as badly as Mike could’ve imagined. Everything from the last few months flashed through his mind in some sort of jumbled slideshow. The countless evenings they spent together watching movies and talking; really getting to know each other at FearFest; how beautiful she looked the night of homecoming; the time they almost kissed on her doorstep; the first time her hand touched his in the library after El broke up with him; meeting her parents; the first time they actually kissed, right after she had told him about her previous relationship and he had promised that he was different… that he would never cheat on anyone.

Mike knew she was going to hate him.

“Lindsey, there’s no easy way to say this-”

“Just say it,” Lindsey demanded.

“I slept with El,” Mike blurted out. “It was last night after you left. I am so sorry; I never meant for this to happen, but I just couldn’t keep this from you.”

He held his breath while giving Lindsey time to process and react. To his surprise, Lindsey didn’t get angry. She didn’t yell or scream or cry or hit him. She simply stared at him quietly, breathing steadily.

“Linds?” Mike asked gently.

She continued to stare at him, the expression on her face completely blank, and the emotion gone from her eyes. It was like she had gone from having so much frustration with him a few minutes ago to being completely numb after what he had told her.

“Lindsey?” Mike repeated. “Please say something.”

“You don’t want me to do that,” Lindsey whispered, subtly shaking her head.

“Yes I do,” Mike insisted. He had been dreading her angry reaction, but somehow her calm reaction was worse. He found it almost eerie.

“I should’ve known this was coming all along,” Lindsey said steadily, her voice growing to its normal volume. “I’m not stupid, Mike. The signs were there. You’ve clearly still been in love with her this whole time.”

Lindsey’s voice was growing louder by the second, and Mike sat quietly, knowing he couldn’t counter what she was saying because, as he knows now, it was true.

“But I thought… I really thought that the longer we were together, and the harder I tried, eventually you would appreciate it. That you would appreciate me and actually want to be with me,” Lindsey continued.

“I did appreciate you, Lindsey. I do,” Mike insisted.

“We’ve never said ‘I love you’ to each other,” Lindsey pointed out. “How long have you known that you didn’t love me? That you would never love me? That you still loved her?”

“I… I don’t-”

“You don’t know. But it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Lindsey demanded. “So don’t sit there and tell me that you appreciated me and everything I did for you when you knew all along it was never going anywhere.”

“I didn’t-”

“You knew you still loved her, but you kept stringing me along,” Lindsey spat. “Did you just want some girl to be there and try to fill El’s place?”

“No,” Mike insisted.

“Or maybe you kept me around so you could keep getting your dick sucked on the side until the girl you really wanted decided she wanted you back,” Lindsey was shaking now, her voice dripping with venom.

“It wasn’t like that,” Mike shook his head.

“Sure it wasn’t. Because you never wanted to hurt me, right? Isn’t that what you kept saying? You were always so adamant that you really liked me and that you never wanted to hurt me, but that was all bullshit!” she was screaming at this point.

“It wasn’t bullshit!” Mike yelled back.

Lindsey was taken aback by Mike’s sudden raise in voice, and she stared at him with widened eyes.

“It wasn’t bullshit,” he repeated calmly. “I promise you, I meant everything I ever said to you. I think you’re an amazing person, and I really like you, and I swear I never wanted to hurt you. I just… I couldn’t let her go.”

Lindsey took a deep, shaky breath before opening her mouth to speak.

“And instead of admitting that and showing me the basic human decency of ending things like a man, you made the decision to have sex with your ex-girlfriend,” she said. “You cheated on me. After I confided in you, and I told you all about what my last boyfriend did to me, and you promised that you would never do that… You did it anyway.”

“I’m so sorry,” Mike said desperately.

“You know, I thought you were the safe option,” Lindsey said, the bitterness returning to her voice and masking the hurt that had just been there. “Brad was the popular jock who just wanted in my pants. But you were this nice, sweet, nerdy guy who sat next to me in chem. I thought you would really care about me, and that I would never have to feel that type of pain again, because you sure wouldn’t do that to me… But I was wrong.”

“Lindsey, I am so, so sorry for hurting you. You will never understand how terrible I feel and how sorry I am,” Mike pleaded, his voice breaking.

“No. I don’t want your apology, Mike. I want you to never speak to me again,” Lindsey said. She opened the car door and stuck one leg outside to leave. “And I want you to know that El will only hurt you again… Or hell, maybe you’ll hurt her. I don’t know, and I don’t care. But you two deserve each other.”

“Lindsey, wait-”

She interrupted him by slamming the car door. Mike watched as she walked briskly through the parking lot and back to the school. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes, Lindsey’s voice yelling at him still ringing in his ears.

“Fuck!” he hollered, pounding the steering wheel with his palm. Mike had never hurt someone the way he had just hurt Lindsey. He decided to spend the rest of his lunch period alone to compose himself and wonder how he was going to make it through chemistry the rest of the year with Lindsey sitting right next to him.

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, El had been filling Max in on what happened between herself and Mike today. Max had remained quiet, listening to everything El told her about what Mike said when she tried to talk to him, right up until Lindsey had come in and interrupted them.

“How can he say he could never regret anything with me, and then also say that what happened last night shouldn’t have happened?” El asked.

“El, I think it’s obvious that Mike still loves you,” Max began. “It’s not the fact that you two had sex that he regrets. It’s the fact that he cheated on Lindsey… So, like, if Lindsey were completely out of the picture, there would be no problem. He just means that it shouldn’t have happened when it did, not that it shouldn’t have happened at all. Does that make sense?”

El furrowed her brow, trying to follow Max’s words. She groaned and buried her face in her hands.

“I just wish I could go back and change everything,” El’s muffled voice said behind her hands.

“I know,” Max said guiltily. “But you both still love each other, and I really think things will work out.”

“But you don’t know that,” El pointed out, laying her hands down. “He said he couldn’t think about what last night meant for us. Max, he is so torn up about Lindsey, and what if he can’t be with me anymore because he associates me with how guilty he’s feeling?”

“This guilt he’s feeling won’t last forever,” Max assured her.

“I just want him back,” El pouted. “I want him to feel better, and I want to feel better… I just want things to be back to how they were before I ever went to that college party.”

“El, I love you, but you have to get that thought out of your mind,” Max said. “I really think you and Mike will get back together, but you have to accept that things will never be exactly how they were before all of this happened. You’ve both been through so many new experiences.”

“When should I try to talk to him again?” El asked. Max thought about it for a minute and sighed.

“From what you told me Mike said to you in that classroom, he and Lindsey are probably either fighting or breaking up right now. I don’t think you should try and talk to him at all. Let him process everything, and let him deal with the guilt and his breakup with Lindsey,” Max suggested.

“How will I know when he has processed all of that and will be ready to talk to me?” El asked.

“Just wait for him to come to you,” Max explained. “He already knows you’re sorry, and he knows you want to talk about your relationship. So when he is ready for that, he will come talk to you.”

El thought this over and nodded. Max definitely had a point this time, so El thought she would try her friend’s suggestion. Though, she wasn’t sure just how long she would be able to wait for Mike to come to her before she would give in and try and talk to him again herself.

“But listen, there’s nothing else you can do about Mike right now,” Max said, changing the subject. “But I think I have a plan to get back at Brad that you will really like.”

“You do?” El asked, perking up. She knew she wanted revenge on Brad for what he did to Mike and herself, but she knew Max was better at coming up with plans than she was. She was surprised that Max had come up with something so quickly.

“Yeah!” Max exclaimed. She was about to fill El in, when El happened to glance over her shoulder and see Lindsey storming toward their table.

“I hope you’re happy,” Lindsey spat when she reached their table.

“Lindsey, look, I-”

“I thought I made myself clear when I told you to stay away from him, but I never thought you would actually sleep with someone who was in a relationship with someone else,” Lindsey said. “What a slutty thing to do.”

“Hey! Watch your mouth,” Max warned the girl standing in front of them.

“Max, it’s okay,” El said quietly. She looked up at Lindsey and spoke with as much sincerity as she could. “I really am sorry that you got hurt.”

“I don’t want your apology. I just want you to know that even though you think you won, you’re going to get hurt. You know the saying ‘once a cheater, always a cheater.’ Mike will either cheat on you, or you’ll get bored and leave him again to find something new. Like I told Mike, you two deserve each other,” Lindsey said bitterly.

She glared at El before turning on her heel and leaving the cafeteria just as quickly as she had entered. El sat quietly, stunned, taking in everything Lindsey had just said to her. Soon, she felt Max’s hand on her shoulder.

“El, are you okay?” Max asked gently.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” El replied, still slightly dazed.

“Look, all that stuff she said about Mike cheating and you getting bored-”

“I know it won’t happen,” El cut her off. “Mike really isn’t like that. He would never hurt me… And once I get him back, I know I’ll never hurt him again either.”

“She was out of line, though. Do you want me to say something to her?” Max offered, and El quickly shook her head.

“No,” she said. “She’s hurt and angry right now. I can’t blame her for what she said. I think we should just drop it.”

Max nodded her agreement and sat in the silence, awkwardly wondering if she should change the subject or wait for El’s next move. Luckily, El spoke soon to answer her question.

“So, you were about to tell me about the plan for Brad?” El reminded her.

“Oh, right!” Max jumped, relieved that El so readily changed the subject. “So, how would you feel about going to a basketball game this weekend?”


	21. Chapter 21

The rest of the week passed without further incident for El. Lindsey made no further contact with her, much to El’s relief. The thought had crossed her mind that Lindsey may do something to try and physically or reputationally hurt her, especially because Lindsey’s warning in the bathroom that day to stay away from Mike had replayed itself several times in El’s mind. But, Max insisted that Lindsey was all talk and that El was likely safe from any retaliation, and El finally agreed that Max was probably right.

El also hadn’t seen Brad for anything longer than a brief glimpse in the hallway in between classes, and Brad never seemed to spot her in the crowd. Lindsey and Brad both seemed to no longer be a factor in her life, and El struggled with cold feet one day, almost telling Max to call off their revenge plan on Brad. After all, Mike had told her to leave it alone. But she couldn’t. It seemed like whenever the thought crossed El’s mind to forget about their plan, she happened to see Mike; and while his eye was healing a little each day, El still felt the fire burning in her stomach at the thought of him getting hurt by that scumbag. It hurt even more that Mike still hadn’t tried to talk to her, and while El knew that Brad had nothing to do with that part, she still believed that getting justice for what Brad had done would make her feel just a little bit better.

“So what are you up to this weekend?” Lucas asked Max as the three of them gathered at Max’s locker after school.

“Just hanging out. Staying out of trouble,” Max shrugged with a mischievous grin in El’s direction.

“You better,” Lucas said firmly, looking back and forth between the two girls.

“How is Mike doing?” El asked the question she had been dying to ask all week.

“He’s okay,” Lucas sighed. “The day everything happened, Lindsey got to chemistry before him and told their teacher they weren’t working well together and asked for a new lab partner. So she was moved to the other side of the classroom and apparently hasn’t even looked Mike’s way.”

“He hasn’t tried to talk to me at all,” El said. “He is still feeling guilty about what happened.”

“Yeah, he is,” Lucas agreed. “I think the weekend will be good for him. It’ll give him a couple days to himself away from school to just clear his head and try to come to terms with everything. And I know it’s hard for you, El, but you should keep giving him his space. You don’t want to suffocate him.”

“I know,” El nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do all week. I’m trying to give him as much time and space as he needs, but I just wish I knew how long he is going to need.”

“He probably doesn’t even know that himself,” Max said, wrapping her arm around El’s shoulders. “But this weekend will be good for you, too. We can watch some movies, read some magazines. Oh! Maybe start Christmas shopping.”

“Yeah, you two have fun this weekend,” Lucas agreed. Max shared a look with El that said they both knew they would be doing much more than watching movies and hanging out. “And, El, I promise, I’ve known Mike almost my whole life. He will come talk to you when he’s ready to talk about it.”

El nodded and offered a small appreciative smile before hugging Lucas goodbye for the weekend. After Max gave him a hug and a kiss, she and El headed out of the school and to the parking lot to Max’s car. 

“Movies and magazines, huh?” El asked when she had gotten into the car and was pulling the seatbelt over her body.

“Well the basketball game is only going to last a couple hours tomorrow evening. We have plenty of time to hang out tonight and tomorrow afternoon,” Max said innocently.

“Max, are you sure that we shouldn’t just drop it?” El asked hesitantly. “I really don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

“We aren’t going to hurt him, we’re just going to scare him,” Max reminded her gently. “Well… I guess he might get a little bit hurt. But that’s going to be entirely up to you.”

El chuckled lightly at Max’s comment, but it was just the encouragement that she needed to shake her cold feet. She wanted payback. She wanted Brad to face some sort of justice for what he had done. But more than anything, she just wanted them all to move on and for things to be back to normal. She wanted Mike to forgive her, and she wanted them to enjoy the last half of their senior year, and the rest of their lives, together like they had always planned.

“Are you okay?” Max asked after El had been silent for several moments.

“I just really want to be passed all of this,” El admitted.

“I know,” Max said. “And this will be the first step in getting passed it. That jackass deserves to be put in his place after what he did to Mike and what he did to you. It’ll bring you some closure, El, and I think you really need that in order to move on.”

El thought about Max’s words, and then she thought about the plan that Max had come up with and shared with her. With a sigh, El nodded, and Max smiled and drove the two of them out of the parking lot.

The next evening, Robin’s car came to a stop outside of Max’s house about thirty minutes before the basketball game was scheduled to start. Max and El hurried out the front door and climbed into the backseat of Robin’s car, where they were promptly greeted from the passenger seat by the part of Max’s plan that had taken El the most by surprise.

“Ladies,” greeted Steve Harrington with a slight nod of his head.

At lunch the other day, Max had told El that she had called Robin after returning home from Lucas’s and the two of them had brainstormed a few ways to get payback against Brad. Robin had been quick to agree to help, saying that she felt like she owed Max and El one after the mess with Abby. What Max hadn’t expected was for Robin to offer to bring Steve into the mix, but she quickly came onboard.

“Steven,” Max returned the nod. “Hope the video store can function without you for one night.”

“Very funny, Maxine,” Steve quipped in return. “You’re lucky I even agreed to be a part of this. Threatening minors seems a little juvenile at this stage of my life.”

“You think tonight will make you seem juvenile? You have more friends under the age of eighteen than over it,” Max pointed out.

“You know what? I think you girls can do this without me. Robin, pull over here,” Steve pointed vaguely out the window, feigning annoyance.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Max said quickly, although she knew Steve wasn’t really going to back out on them. “We appreciate you agreeing to help, Steve.”

“That’s better,” Steve smirked at her before turning his attention to El in the rearview mirror, a more serious expression on his face. “Robin told me about this creep. She said he crossed the line with you and beat the shit out of Wheeler.”

“That’s right,” El replied softly with a nod.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Steve said sincerely.

“Thanks,” El smiled.

The rest of the ride passed quickly, Max and Steve finalized exactly what his part of the plan was. Before they knew it, Robin had put the car into park outside of the school.

El, Max, Robin, and Steve walked into the gymnasium and were greeted by the loud sounds of pregame festivities. The four of them walked up the stairs of the bleachers about halfway before finding enough space near the aisle for them to sit comfortably while the varsity cheerleaders performed in the center of the court to the music played by the pep band on the other side of the gym. 

El glanced around the gym to the lower bleachers where she had sat when she came to watch Brad practice, the center of the court where he and his friends had talked and pointed toward her, the locker room where Brad had come out and introduced her to his friend Tyler before inviting her to that homecoming party. The gym had never really held memories for her before, and now being in here reminded her of the beginnings of hers and Brad’s relationship.

“Okay, it’s starting,” Max nudged El’s elbow as the pep band’s music ceased and the cheerleaders moved to the side.

The announcer introduced the opposing team which was greeted with clapping and cheering from the visitor section across the gym. The students in Hawkins’ student section quickly drowned out their visitors’ cheers with thundering boos. Out of the visitor locker room jogged the players from the opposing team, though El couldn’t hear the player introductions over the commotion in the bleachers.

“And now… your HAWKINS TIGERS,” rang the announcer’s voice throughout the gym.

Suddenly, everyone around El was on their feet, and she felt Max tug her arm, encouraging her to stand as well. El stood up, clapping along with everyone else as the team took the court while the cheerleaders hyped up the crowd. El’s eyes locked on Brad before the announcer read his name; he was raising his arms in the air, encouraging the student section to scream even louder. He had a wide smile on his face, and El couldn’t help but roll her eyes as he winked at one of the cheerleaders before joining his teammates along the edge of the court for the National Anthem.

The gym quieted down as the announcer asked everyone to remain standing for the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. El tried to keep her eyes on the flag hanging from the ceiling while the pep band played the song, but she was drawn to Brad who was standing there so sure of himself, slowly swaying back and forth anxiously waiting for the Anthem to be over so the game could start. Her eyes narrowed, disgusted just by seeing him acting so normal; acting like he wasn’t a walking lie who pretended to be a good guy to get girls into bed; acting like he wasn’t a bully who had no problem outnumbering and attacking innocent people in hallways. To those who didn’t know who Brad really was, he looked like any other high school basketball player, happy to be there and excited for the game to start.

The crowd cheered as the band held out the last note of the National Anthem, and El’s attention was drawn away from Brad for the time being. 

El watched as the referee carrying the basketball approached the middle and was met with one player from each team. She scoffed when she saw that Brad was the Hawkins player to join him. The ref tossed the ball up into the air, Brad and the opposing player both jumped up, but Brad was the one to tap the basketball away from his opponent, and suddenly the game was underway.

For a moment, El nearly forgot why she was there in the first place. She was actually intrigued by the game happening before her. Her eyes tried to follow the orange blur that was the basketball as it passed from person to person, the sound of shoes squeaking on the court mixed with the hollers from the stands as Brad’s friend Tyler caught the ball from another teammate. 

El watched as a player from the opposing team guarded Tyler, his arms stretched out as he tried to block any move Tyler could make. Tyler looked to his right and was able to quickly pass the ball to another Hawkins player who took his shot as soon as the ball reached his hands.

“Yeah!” Steve yelled, rising to his feet and cupping his hands around his mouth. “Woo!”

The crowd erupted around El as the basketball swooshed through the net. The pep band played a brief version of the high school’s fight song, and the cheerleaders danced along to it. El glanced at the scoreboard and saw the game had only been going for less than two minutes. 

“I almost forgot how exciting high school basketball games can be,” Steve said, sitting back down.

“Is it like this the whole time?” El asked.

“If we keep scoring,” Steve chuckled.

“Are you good?” Max leaned in to El’s ear to ask.

“Yeah,” El nodded. “It’s just so loud.”

“Let me know if you need to step outside for a few minutes,” Max offered, and El nodded with an appreciative smile.

El directed her attention back to the game, and her eyes instantly found Brad. She knew the main part of the plan that Max and Robin concocted was taking place after the game ended, but they had all agreed there was no harm in El having a little fun during the game as well.

On the court, Brad raised his arms out in front of him, communicating to his teammate that he was open. El watched as Brad’s teammate passed the ball, and as it traveled through the air, Brad started shifting to his left to get himself in the proper place to catch it. Subtly, El jerked her head and watched as Brad slammed onto the floor, smacking his chin fully on the court as the ball sailed over his body and bounced out of bounds.

The ref blew his whistle loudly, which was nearly masked by the groans coming from the stands, and El quickly dabbed her nose with the tissue she kept in her pocket. 

Brad hopped to his feet, rubbing his sore jaw with a perplexed look on his face. El saw Tyler raise his hands and shoot Brad a questioning look, and Brad responded with something about tripping.

Moments later, the action had resumed, and El was back to following the ball up and down the court. Hawkins scored three more times, and the opposing team had only scored once. Brad was face to face with the opposing player who had the ball, a smug look on his face as he challenged his opponent to try and get passed him. Brad made a small move toward the ball, and El tilted her head, making him fully lunge forward, losing his balance and ending up sprawled on his belly on the court while his opponent ran by him and made it down the court, shooting and scoring.

“What the hell are you doing?!” the Hawkins coach hollered at Brad as Brad pushed himself to his feet, a pissed off expression on his face.

El watched as Brad shook his head, his hands placed on his hips, and it looked like he was biting the insides of his cheeks. She smirked, dabbing again at her nose.

The game was well into the second quarter now, and El wanted to give Brad one more surprise before halftime. Her eyes found him at the opposite end of the court, towering over his opponent who possessed the ball. Deciding to be a little more subtle this time, she tilted her head and watched as Brad’s opponent’s elbow was driven sharply into Brad’s chest. Brad’s hand instinctively shot up to grip his chest, and with his attention taken away momentarily, his opponent scored once again for the opposing team.

“What is wrong with you tonight, Connor?!” the Hawkins coached hollered from the sidelines amidst the booing from the stands.

Halftime was nearing, and El watched the rest of the second quarter with no further incidents. When the buzzer sounded, Hawkins was leading by four points, and El watched Brad jog toward the locker room looking confused and angry with himself for his performance thus far into the game.

“Hey,” Steve nudged her, speaking in a low tone. “Just don’t make us lose the game, all right?”

“Of course not,” El promised. 

After halftime, El let half of the third quarter go by before finding an opportunity to strike again. Brad was wide open, his arms outstretched as his teammate passed him the ball. This time, Brad didn’t have to move to catch it, so instead of making him fall again, El held his hands in place with her gaze, not letting them close around the basketball which passed through his hands and crashed directly into his face.

The ref’s whistle blew loudly as the basketball bounced away and Brad cupped his face with both of his hands, squatting down and resting his elbows on his knees. A couple of his teammates went to his side, and when Brad lowered his hands, El could see blood on his palms and streaming from his nose.

Brad was pulled off the court and cleaned up on the sidelines while the game continued, and El smirked in satisfaction when she saw the coach’s mouth form the words that Brad was done for the night. For the rest of the game, El watched, actually enjoying seeing her high school team win, while Brad watched the game from the sidelines, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his folding chair, lips pursed with an angry expression covering his face.

The final buzzer rang through the gym, and the stands erupted once again while the pep band burst into the school’s fight song and the cheerleaders broke into their routine. El, Max, Steve, and Robin joined the crowd in applause momentarily, until Max drew their attention in, reminding them they needed to head outside and prepare for the second phase of the plan.

Once outside, the four of them retreated to Robin’s car. She popped the trunk and Steve pulled out something El and Max hadn’t seen in years.

“You still have that thing?” Max asked, eyeing the bat.

“Just for special occasions,” Steve shrugged, slamming the trunk shut. “You never know when you may need it for a little extra effect, and it hasn’t let me down yet.”

Steve leaned the bat against the back of the car, and Robin and Max climbed into the front seat while El and Steve waited for Brad to come out. Robin had purposely parked in the parking lot on the side of the school where Steve had told her the players typically parked, so they wouldn’t be crowded by everyone else from the crowd leaving. After El had identified Brad’s car, Robin had parked a couple rows over so they would be able to see him approaching, but he wouldn’t see them waiting for him.

Other members of the team started filing out of the door on the side of the school. They were excited about their victory, and El was certain they were all heading off to a party somewhere. She kept her eyes pealed for Brad, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“With the performance he had tonight, the coach probably kept him after the game to rip him a new one,” Steve explained when he saw the questioning look on El’s face.

“You think so?” she asked.

“Hell yeah,” Steve confirmed. “I guarantee he’s getting his ass chewed out right now.”

“Can’t say I have much sympathy for him,” El muttered, to which Steve chuckled and shook his head.

“Oh, here he comes now,” Steve gestured toward the door that Brad just walked through, making his way to the parking lot, fixed on getting to his car.

Brad opened the door to his backseat on the driver side of his car and tossed his gym bag in, slamming the door and looking utterly defeated.

“Hey! You Brad Connor?” Steve called, taking a few steps toward him.

“Who’s asking?” Brad called back, a skeptical look on his face as he took a few steps nearer to Steve.

“My name’s Steve,” Steve replied, standing about ten feet from Brad.

A look of recognition started to cross Brad’s face, finally replacing the puzzlement as he stared at Steve.

“Harrington, right?” Brad asked.

“That’s right,” Steve nodded.

“Yeah, I know who you are,” Brad said. “You graduated with my cousin Paul. He said you always walked around like you were the king of the school… until that Billy Hargrove came around.”

“I’m not here to talk about Billy or your family tree, Connor,” Steve said.

“Then what are you doing here? Nothing better to do than come watch a high school basketball game?” Brad asked, scrunching his forehead.

“I asked him to come,” El said, finally breaking her silence as she stepped from the shadows into the lighted area illuminated by one of the streetlamps in the parking lot, joining Steve’s side.

“You asked him to come?” Brad repeated, shock written all over his face at seeing her, and El nodded.

“I’m really glad I did, too,” she smiled. “I had a great time… I should’ve listened to you and come to a game a lot sooner.”

“Yeah, it was a great game, wasn’t it?” Steve agreed, looking at Brad. “But it looked like you were having a rough time out there.”

“Listen, I don’t have time for this shit,” Brad spat, rolling his eyes and reaching for his driver side car door.

“Make time,” Steve said firmly. “You and I need to have a little chat about the way you’ve been treating some people I care about.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Brad demanded. He glanced at El standing at Steve’s side. “I don’t know what bullshit she told you, man, but she wanted it.”

“Really? That’s funny, because in my experience – which I assure you, is plenty – a girl who wants it doesn’t typically tell you no while smacking your hands away,” Steve said.

Brad was silent, but the smug look on his face remained.

“Or does it get you off when they struggle, you sick son of a bitch,” Steve added venomously, stepping closer to Brad.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brad scoffed.

“I know you tried to take advantage of El,” Steve recounted. “And I know you beat up Mike Wheeler.”

“That little shit had it coming,” Brad said.

“I was hoping you would see things differently by now,” Steve sighed, striding back into the darkness toward Robin’s car.

When Steve reemerged seconds later, he was carrying his bat in his hands. Brad’s eyes tripled in size as they bulged in their sockets, fixed on the nails protruding from the bat.

“Whoa, man, what the fuck is that?” Brad asked, his voice more high-pitched than he would have preferred.

“A little incentive for you to leave them alone,” Steve said, walking past El and straight up to Brad.

“Dude, why do you care so much?” Brad asked, his smugness coming back to the forefront.

“I dated Mike’s sister for a while, and I really came to care about them. Mike, El, and all their friends,” Steve answered honestly. “So I’m going to tell you one time to stay away from all of them. If I hear one more time that you gave any of them a hard time…”

“What? You’re gonna beat me with that deranged bat thing?” Brad challenged, glancing at the bat in front of him.

Steve chuckled.

“Of course not,” he said, followed by a long glance to Brad’s car that they were standing next to.

“You wouldn’t,” Brad dared him, following Steve’s gaze.

“Wouldn’t I?” Steve asked, amused. “Leave them alone, and you won’t have to find out. Understand?”

Brad held Steve’s gaze for several moments, maintaining a smug look on his face, but he nodded nonetheless, deciding not to see whether Steve meant what he said.

“Good,” Steve said. “Now get out of here.”

Steve turned his back to walk away, and Brad shifted his focus back to El who had watched silently from ten feet away.

“Go to hell, bitch,” Brad muttered in her direction.

Steve stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel, swinging the bat through the air as he spun. The bat collided hard with the front driver side tire, puncturing it with several nails.

“What the fuck?!” Brad screamed, jumping back.

“What did I just say?” Steve asked, dislodging his bat from Brad’s car.

“All right, all right, I get it. I’ll leave them alone. Jesus Christ,” Brad surrendered, looking back and forth between Steve and his deflating tire, a look of horror on his face.

“Good to hear,” Steve grinned, taking a final couple steps toward Brad and placing a hand firmly on his shoulder. “Hope you know how to change a tire.”

Satisfied, Steve and El turned and walked back to Robin’s car where they climbed into the back seat. Robin turned on the engine, and the four of them drove out of the parking lot, sneaking a glance back to see Brad pulling his spare tire and jack out of his trunk.

“That was insane,” El giggled.

“Yeah, well, it’s a one-time favor. Don’t get used to it,” Steve said, though El could tell by his smile that he was happy to have helped.

“I thought the bat was just to scare him, though,” Robin reminded him of their original plan in a slightly disapproving tone.

“It was supposed to be, but that little twit really pushed my buttons,” Steve admitted.

“He definitely deserved it,” Max chimed in. “Seriously, Steve, thanks for helping us out tonight.”

“No problem,” Steve replied.

Minutes later, Robin dropped off El and Max at Max’s house, and the two girls went inside to Max’s bedroom.

“I can’t believe we did that,” El sighed, flopping down on Max’s bed and staring at the ceiling.

“It’s nothing he didn’t deserve, and now you won’t have to worry about him talking more shit about you or touching Mike again,” Max pointed out, scooting El’s legs over so she could sit on the edge of the bed.

“You’re right,” El nodded. “But my heart was beating so fast!”

“It was an adrenaline rush, that’s for sure,” Max laughed. “So, are you going to tell Mike about what we did tonight? Since, you know, you mostly did it for him.”

“I don’t know,” El sighed. “He was really serious about wanting me to drop the whole issue… I think before I worry about talking to him about this, I should be worried about getting him to talk to me at all.”

“He will, El,” Max assured her. “He needs some time to come around, but everything is going to work itself out.”

El nodded and sighed deeply. She sat up, ready to change the subject.

“Let’s watch a movie,” she said, hopping up and toward to bedroom door. “I’ll make some popcorn.”

Max stood and looked over her VHS collection, not really reading any of the titles, and just praying that all this hope and encouragement she was giving to El would come true soon.


	22. Chapter 22

El was sitting on her bed, her back leaned against the wall, painting her fingernails. She absentmindedly stroked the brush along her nail, not particularly caring about the color or dabbing away any that slipped onto her skin. Her mind was elsewhere, as it had been all week.

It was Saturday; a week since she and Max had gone to that basketball game with Robin and Steve and confronted Brad. A week and a half since the last time she and Mike had spoken. El had been taking the advice of all her friends, all of whom said the same thing: give Mike time and let him come to her when he is ready to talk about it. She knew Mike had things to figure out, but El couldn’t help but feel impatient.

She screwed the lid on her bottle of nail polish and sighed heavily as she placed the bottle on her nightstand and gingerly blew on her wet nails. El jumped when there was an unexpected knock on her bedroom door, and it cracked open to show Will’s face.

“Mom’s at work, and I’m starving. I’m about to make a grilled cheese sandwich. You want one?” he offered.

“Nails are wet,” El replied lamely. “Thanks, though.”

“Come on, El. You hardly come out of your room anymore other than to go to school,” Will said. “Come eat lunch and hang out with me.”

“You want to hang out with me?” El asked skeptically.

Will frowned as a look of guilt flashed in his eyes. He knew their last actual conversation – the last one that had been more than a simple greeting as they passed each other in the hallway at home or at school – had not gone particularly well. Will had heard Lindsey tell El off in the cafeteria after breaking up with Mike, and needless to say, he did not approve of Mike and El’s actions.

“Of course I want to hang out with you,” Will said. “Just because I disapprove of something you did doesn’t mean I love you any less.”

“Thanks, Will,” El mumbled. “I’m still not hungry.”

“Okay,” Will accepted defeat and walked into her room, taking a seat on the seat of her vanity. “We can hang out in here.”

“I thought you were starving,” El reminded him.

“That may have been a bit of an exaggeration,” Will grinned. “So what’s up? What’s on your mind?”

El sighed. She couldn’t imagine that Will didn’t know exactly what was on her mind.

“Why hasn’t he come to talk to me yet?” El asked.

“Maybe he’s still trying to work out his feelings,” Will suggested. “Mike and I really haven’t talked about it much.”

“How much could he possibly have to think about without actually talking to me?” El wondered. “It really comes down to whether he wants to be with me or not.”

“I don’t think it’s nearly that simple, El,” Will said, shaking his head.

“It should be,” El replied indignantly. “We always said we could make it through anything. I don’t want this to prove us wrong.”

“Just because it hasn’t been instantly solved doesn’t mean you two won’t make it through,” Will said. “Before this, the biggest fight you two have ever had was when you dumped his ass three years ago. This is something completely new to both of you. I don’t blame Mike for needing extra time.”

El sighed again and flopped backward onto her pillows.

“Waiting for him to talk to me is driving me crazy,” she groaned. “We only have one more week of school before Christmas break, and we’ll be out of school for three weeks. I can’t do this for another month, Will.”

“Then why don’t you just go talk to him?” Will suggested.

“What?” El sat up, looking at him incredulously. “Everyone keeps telling me to give him time.”

“I know. And I know I said that too,” Will admitted. “But you are not yourself, El, and you haven’t been for a while. You’re letting this completely disrupt your life, and laying around pining over someone is not healthy.”

“I’m not pining,” El insisted.

“You’re kind of pining,” Will countered. “Just go talk to him. Be honest with him, and tell him how you feel and what you want.”

El thought this over and nodded. Will had a point. Maybe their friends were wrong and Mike was hoping to hear from her after all.

“I think I will,” she said. Will’s stomach growled loudly in response.

“Guess starving wasn’t much of an exaggeration after all,” Will laughed.

The two of them stood and headed toward El’s bedroom door.

“Does that offer for a grilled cheese sandwich still stand?” El asked.

“Feeling hungry all of a sudden?” Will teased.

They went into the kitchen, and El graciously accepted the lunch Will made for her. After lunch, she would walk to Mike’s house and hopefully find a way to salvage their relationship.

Mike was laying on the couch in the basement, staring up at the ceiling while his thoughts consumed him. He had stayed pretty busy over the past week. When he wasn’t doing homework, he was doing extra chores around the house for his mom, and he had even been working on a new D&D campaign to surprise the guys with since they hadn’t played in ages. Anything to keep his mind off of what his mind was currently on.

All of his homework was done, the house was essentially spotless, and if Mike was being honest, his heart just wasn’t in D&D at the moment. So, there he lay, thinking about the situation he found himself in.

Lindsey must have been serious when she said that she wanted Mike to never speak to her again. After getting herself moved to the opposite side of the classroom and having their chemistry teacher reassign herself and Mike new lab partners, she had not looked his way once, let alone said a word to him. It was almost like he never existed and like they had never had anything to do with each other. Mike couldn’t say that he blamed her for acting that way, and he knew he had no right to feel hurt, especially after what he had done to her, but he couldn’t help wishing that Lindsey was somehow able to forgive him, even though he knew he didn’t deserve it. 

Mike hated knowing that he had wronged somebody that he cared about, and he wished there was a way that the two of them could find closure in their relationship and amicably coexist. Then again, maybe Lindsey’s idea of closure was simply moving on with her life and pretending she had never known him. Maybe Mike would have to find a way to drop this and accept that this was something there was no fixing. After all, if that is the way Lindsey wanted it, he at least owed her that much.

He still couldn’t believe the way he had gotten himself into this situation. He had slept with El. The one thing Mike had never regretted in his life was being with El, yet somehow that very same act was how he ended up hurting someone in the worst way he could imagine.

Dustin and Will both knew what had transpired between Mike and El that night at Lucas’s house. After Lindsey broke up with him during lunch the day after, she had apparently gone into the cafeteria to confront El. The guys, having been sitting at their usual table not far from where Max and El were sitting, heard everything.

“You and El had sex?! Recently?!” Dustin had exclaimed in a shushed whisper that same afternoon when he cornered Mike at his locker.

“Lucas told you?” Mike had assumed.

“No. Lindsey told El off in the cafeteria at lunch today,” Dustin had explained, starting down the hallway with Mike. “What were you thinking?”

“Look, I really don’t want to talk about it,” Mike had sighed. “Needless to say, Lindsey and I broke up today. I feel awful about everything, and I already heard enough today from Lindsey and Lucas. So can you please just not lecture me on this right now?”

“That’s fair,” Dustin had nodded, though Mike saw the disapproval in his expression.

Dustin had honored Mike’s request to not lecture him on what had happened, but a few days later, Dustin had pulled him aside.

“I know you don’t want to hear about how stupid it was to cheat on Lindsey or that you and El should’ve just waited one day so you could’ve broken up with Lindsey properly,” Dustin had started, to which Mike gave an annoyed look. “You already know you shouldn’t have done what you did. But I want you to know that if you need anything while you’re trying to figure all your shit with El out, I’m here.”

“Thanks, Dustin,” Mike had smiled sadly.

That was the last that Dustin had spoken to Mike about his situation. Will hadn’t spoken to Mike much about it either. He had basically left it to a “you really shouldn’t have done that,” and a disapproving look.

Of course Mike knew he shouldn’t have done what he did. Lucas, Dustin, and Will had all made it a point to remind him of this, and Mike was still truly sorry to Lindsey for having done it. Still, Mike couldn’t help but find himself thinking about that night. Because even though it had been wrong, and it was a horrible thing for him to have done, it hadn’t felt wrong in the moment. He had just been so wrapped up in El; the sparkle in her eyes, the glow around her hair, the smell of her shampoo, the feel of her soft skin, the sting of her fingernails digging into his back, those beautiful moans she let out into his ear, the tight hold she had around him the whole time when he was literally wrapped up in her arms and legs.

His mind had forgotten about Lindsey so fast, and Mike hated himself for that. He hated that his love and desire for El, the thing that had always been held the most pure and sacred in his life, had led to the worst thing he had ever done to another person.

Mike had been beating himself up over that night for more than a week and a half. He had told himself countless times that he should have stopped it, that there was no excuse for what he had done while knowing he had another girlfriend. He could have stood up and walked away, and then he could have ended his relationship with Lindsey with an ounce of decency. But, as Mike lay there on the couch thinking about that night, he couldn’t help but wonder… could he? Sure, Mike knew he was physically capable of walking out of that room, but looking deep down within himself, he knew he didn’t want to. And he hated himself for that, too.

Mike sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He loves El. This was a fact there was no use trying to deny. El had wanted so badly to talk about where the two of them stood after what had happened, and Mike truly did not know the answer. He knew that he loved her and that he felt like shit because of what he had done to Lindsey. He knew he still had a lot of built-up emotions that he had never revealed to El that he had talked about with Nancy. Mike knew that the longer he kept his feelings hidden from El, the worse he was going to continue to feel about everything. 

He needed to get some things off his chest. El needed to hear the truth about where his head was at, even if that didn’t include a definitive answer on where their relationship stood. Mike hoped that as they talked about the things on his mind, an answer about what he and El should do would become clearer.

Mike took a deep breath and stood from the couch. He walked over to the phone and prepared to dial the number to the Byers’ house to see if El would be willing to meet him somewhere to talk. Suddenly, there was a knock at the back basement door, and Mike glanced over at it, seeing the unmistakable silhouette through the curtain.

Taking and exhaling a deep breath, Mike crossed the room and opened the door, finding himself face-to-face with the person he was just about to call.

“Hi,” El said timidly, her fingers fiddling with the strings of the hoodie she wore.

“Hi,” Mike replied quietly. “El, what are you doing here?”

El’s eyes dropped to the ground as she wondered if she had made a mistake by coming over after all. Maybe she should have waited for him to come to her like Max and Lucas had said. Maybe she was making a mistake.

“Can I come in?” she asked, looking back up at him. Mike started to nod and stepped to the side.

“Yeah,” he said as she walked by him into the basement and he closed the door behind her. “I, uh, was actually just about to call you.”

“You were?” El asked, the hope reignited.

“Yeah,” Mike replied, taking a seat next to her on the couch. “I mean, I don’t have all the answers yet, but I just felt like it was time to talk to you.”

“I wanted to talk to you too,” El said.

“Okay,” Mike nodded, encouraging her to continue.

Be honest with him, and tell him how you feel and what you want. Will’s words rang in her mind.

“Mike, I… I’m ready for us to get back together,” she blurted out.

Mike sat back a little, his brow furrowed, taken aback by El’s bluntness. He had been expecting her to want to talk about what had transpired between them at Lucas’s house, or maybe she would have a clearer answer as to why she broke up with him in the first place. What El had just said was the last thing Mike had been expecting her to lead with.

“El, I… you… what?” he stammered.

“I’ve apologized for everything, and I’ll do it again if that’s what you want. But, I love you, and I’m ready for us to put all of this in the past. I want for us to get back together,” El explained.

“Wow,” Mike let out his breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“So, what do you think?” El asked, biting her bottom lip in anticipation at what he might say.

“I think… Honestly, El, I think you’re being kind of selfish right now,” Mike admitted slowly, and El’s jaw dropped open.

“S-selfish?” El repeated. “H-how am I being… selfish?”

“You’re ready for us to get back together?” Mike repeated. “We’ve barely even talked about anything. You don’t know how I feel about anything that’s happened, but I should just jump right back into things with you because now you’re ready to get back together?”

“Mike, I – That’s not how I meant it,” El said quickly. “I miss you. And I love you. I want us to get through this and go back to spending our lives together… I thought you would feel the same way. I wasn’t trying to sound selfish.”

“El,” Mike began slowly. “I’ve loved you for years. I have always given you everything that I could, and I would’ve done anything you ever needed or wanted me to, and you know that… But it seems like being apart or being together has always been on your terms.”

“What do you mean?” El asked.

“When you broke up with me three years ago, you did it in four words. There was no discussion. You just ended things and walked away from me,” Mike recalled. “But I gave you the benefit of the doubt with that because we were young and you didn’t fully understand what dumping someone meant, and you were under some… outside influence. We got back together. But this time, you thought long and hard about it for weeks before you did it. You knew what it meant this time, and you knew how badly I didn’t want to break up. But because you wanted to break up to see other people, we did. You broke my heart, El. And now, a few months later, after that didn’t work out, you’re here wanting to get back together again… El, I can’t keep doing this. We can’t just keep breaking up and getting back together whenever you decide you want to.”

El gaped at him, not believing what she had just heard. The impact of his words brought tears to her eyes, and she turned away from him, blinking until they went away. She swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath, turning back to him when she was sure she could speak steadily again.

“I never meant to make you feel that way,” she said slowly, holding her voice as steady as she could.

“I know,” Mike said, his tone softened. “But it scares me that you can want to break up and get back together like that because… well, it makes me think that maybe we aren’t on the same page when it comes to our relationship, and that… and that maybe you don’t love me as much as I love you.”

El felt as her heart was ripped into pieces at the rawness of Mike’s words. She didn’t try to hide the tears that spilled from her eyes this time.

“Y-you think that I d-don’t love you?” she managed. “Mike, I love you more than anything in the world.”

“If that were true,” Mike started, his voice beginning to shake, “then why did you feel like you needed to see other people?”

“Max and Abby got to me. I knew that I loved you, but I thought that if I took their advice, I could be sure – we could be sure – that we were meant to be together and that there really was no one else,” El explained, her brown eyes wet from her tears.

“And the difference is, El, that I never needed to go out with any other girls to know how I feel about you. But you needed to try and date other guys to know how you feel about me. And that scares me,” Mike said. “It terrifies me because if we were to get back together, I know I would spend every day wondering if it was the day you were going to decide to leave me again.”

“I wouldn’t, Mike. I promise, I wouldn’t leave you again,” El pleaded.

“That’s not a promise you can make, El. That’s not a promise anyone can make,” Mike shook his head. “And something else that scares me about this is that when you broke up with me, it wasn’t because you were mad at me. We weren’t fighting; I hadn’t lied to you. I didn’t do anything wrong. I thought things were good. I thought you were happy. And then one day, you broke up with me out of the blue.”

El nodded silently. She knew all along that’s how it had seemed to Mike. She knew things between them had been perfectly normal, and she knew Mike never had any idea about the doubts that had been placed in her mind until it was too late.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice broken.

“El, I’m not trying to be a jerk about this, okay? I’m just trying to be honest with you about how I feel,” Mike said softly.

“I know,” El nodded, wiping her cheeks dry, as the tears had stopped falling. “But I need you to know that this is not what I wanted. I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel the way you do. Max is really my only female friend, and I wanted to trust her opinion and her advice. She knows how I was raised, just like you do, and I wanted to believe that she wanted what was best for me. She knows more about being a normal teenager than I do, and I thought she was just trying to help me.”

“I’m sure that in her own way, Max really was trying to help you,” Mike said reluctantly. “She can want what’s best for you, but she needs to trust that you can decide what that is.”

El nodded and studied Mike’s face. She started to move closer to him on the couch, but she hesitated and thought it better to stay where she was.

“I just don’t want to lose you permanently,” she said just above a whisper.

Mike, having seen El’s hesitation to move closer to him, took the initiative to slide closer to her and take her hand in one of his.

“I don’t want to lose you permanently either,” he said quietly. “You were my first… everything, El. My first kiss, my first girlfriend, the first and only person I’ve ever been in love with.”

“You’re all of that to me, too, and so much more,” El smiled. “You were the first person I met who saw me as a human being, the first person I trusted, my very first friend.”

Mike’s eyes glanced over to where the blanket fort had stood. He had built it just for El when they were twelve years old. He had spent 353 days calling her from inside it, wondering if she would ever come back to him. They had had many sleepovers and makeout sessions inside it, and they had even lost their virginities to each other in it a year and a half ago. Sure, the fort had been altered over the years to become bigger as they grew up and needed more space, but it had always been that same little fort where El had spent her first warm, safe night. All of those memories were exactly why Mike had torn it down.

El followed his gaze to the empty location where the blanket fort had stood, and she felt a pang of sadness in her chest. She felt Mike let go of her hand, and she turned back to face him.

“You broke up with me so you could date other guys, and you immediately went for Brad,” Mike said gently. “There are always going to be other guys out there… other guys who are better-looking than me, or funnier or smarter, or whatever else. What happens when you get to college and meet someone on the football team? I’m… I’m just never gonna look like that.”

“Mike, you don’t need to look like that,” El said, desperate to try and squash the insecurities that she was sure her dating Brad had helped instill in Mike. “I’ve always loved you for exactly who you are, and you’re gorgeous. I love your eyes, your smile, the way it feels when you hold me in your arms… Nobody else could ever make me feel the way that you do.”

Mike glanced down, and El noticed his cheeks blushing a very light shade of pink. He always got a little flustered when she would compliment him, and she had always thought it was cute. 

“You know, being with you is the only time I’ve ever felt like I had real, unconditional love,” Mike said after a moment. “I mean, sure, I know my parents love me because I’m their son, but they don’t really know me. You are the only person who knows everything about me, everything that I’ve been through, and loves me anyway. That’s why it hurts so much, El. I didn’t just lose my girlfriend when you broke up with me… I lost my best friend.”

“I lost mine too,” El whispered, tears brimming her eyes once more. “So what can I do, Mike? I want you to trust me again, and I want our friendship and our relationship back.”

Mike nodded, looking at the floor and thinking over her words.

“I still have a lot to figure out,” he started. “I’m not over what I did to Lindsey, and I really don’t want to mess things up with you any further.”

“How can I help?” El asked.

“Just keep giving me space,” Mike replied after a moment. “When Nancy was here for Thanksgiving, she actually had some good advice. She encouraged me not to focus so much on being with someone or not, but to take some time to myself… I think that’s what I need to do for a while.”

“Okay,” El nodded slowly. “You know, Will actually gave me pretty similar advice a couple months ago.”

“Maybe now is a good time to take it,” Mike suggested. “We both have some things to discover about ourselves and who we are outside of each other. I do love you, El, but I can’t get back together with you until I know for certain that you and I both are in the right place to do that. Jumping back into it too fast could screw things up, and I don’t think I could live through another breakup.”

“I understand,” El said, nodding her head. “Take as much time as you need, Mike. Find closure and peace with the Lindsey situation and whatever else you need to figure out.”

“Maybe you can find closure in what happened with Brad, too,” Mike added, and El instantly smirked. Mike scrunched his forehead in confusion. “What?”

“I may have already taken care of the Brad situation,” El grinned.

“El, what did you do? I told you to drop it,” Mike groaned.

“I barely even did anything. Max and I went to his game last weekend with Robin and Steve-”

“Steve Harrington helped you?” Mike interrupted.

“All I did was trip him a few times on the court… and maybe made him take one basketball to the face,” El continued. “Steve’s the one who threatened him and popped one of the tires on his car with his nail bat.”

“Are you serious?!” Mike exclaimed, his eyes widening. El nodded.

“You should’ve seen Brad’s face,” she laughed, remembering the terror Steve had filled him with.

“I wish I could’ve,” Mike grinned, and El felt at ease knowing he wasn’t really upset with her for seeking payback. “I know I said to just let it go, but… thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I would do it all again,” El said, repeating the sentiment Mike had told her a week and a half prior.

Mike smiled at her, and the two of them sat in silence for a moment, unsure of where to go next.

“El,” Mike said after a moment. “I know I’m asking for space, and I don’t know how long it will be. But I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome around everyone else. They are your friends just as much as they are my friends, and I want you to feel free to sit with your friends at lunch or join them at the arcade or hang out on weekends.”

“What about you?” El asked.

“I’m the one who is asking for space, so I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about me,” Mike replied. “Thank you for understanding where I’m coming from with all of this.”

“Of course,” El smiled. “Thank you for talking to me about everything.”

“I’m really glad you came over today, El,” Mike said.

“Me too,” she grinned.

They both stood and walked toward the basement door. El turned and wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, burying his face in her hair. After several moments that were over way too quickly, Mike pulled back and let his hands drop from El.

“Take care of yourself,” he said, opening the door so she could leave.

“You too,” El replied.

The door closed behind her, and El sighed deeply. She had gone there with the intent of salvaging her relationship, and even though it hadn’t gone the way she had envisioned it, she couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she and Mike were on good terms with each other. She felt like they were making progress and that they were on the road to repairing both their friendship and their love. Part of El felt prepared and even excited to focus on herself during this time as well, but she knew that now that there was hope for her and Mike again, she would wait as long as she needed to.


	23. Chapter 23

Two months. It had been two months since El had shown up at Mike’s door, confessing that she wanted to get back together with him, only to be shut down and put in her place by the severity of what she had caused. The insecurities she had awoken within him that she never knew were buried in there. The fears of rekindling their relationship only for him to be heartbroken again. And the revelation that hurt El the most, Mike’s thought that she didn’t return the feelings of love for him that he did for her.

It had been a strange two months. Complicated, as she adjusted to being around Mike and their friends without showing the affection she always did. Refreshing, as she discovered more about herself and felt the most genuine growth in such a short period of time than she had felt in years. Hopeful, as El knew that all the time she was taking to work on herself, Mike was taking to figure out his own issues that she knew he would come back to her to discuss when he was ready. Thankfully, the last two months had been eventful and eye-opening enough for El that they had not drug on like she had originally feared the indefinite time would.

After El left Mike’s basement that day, she had felt a combination of pain, love, hope, and regret. She had known that she had hurt him, but it wasn’t until the words came out of his mouth and cut her heart into pieces that she truly understood just how deeply she had. El had wanted so badly to simply wrap Mike up in her arms and apologize, holding him tightly and showering him with love and kisses until his pain and insecurities were forgotten. But she didn’t. It had become clear to her rather quickly that mending their relationship was not going to be quick or easy, and Mike needed space. So, in her efforts to show Mike how much she loved him, El intended to respect his wishes and give him the time and space that he needed, vowing also to take time and space to herself. She knew she could improve and work to be a better person, a better friend, and a better girlfriend. She owed it to Mike, and most importantly to herself, to become the best version of herself that she could be, so when the time came for she and Mike to readdress their relationship status, El could be the healthiest and happiest she could be on her own, and completely ready to give herself fully to their relationship.

“I told you months ago to start focusing on yourself instead of worrying so much about dating,” Will reminded her when El had gotten home and briefly recapped the main points of she and Mike’s conversation.

All Will really needed to know was that the two of them were not back together, but that they had had an open, honest discussion about how they both feel about everything. El had also told Will that she and Mike were both taking time to figure out who they were outside of each other, as Mike had put it.

“I know, but… it’s just different now,” El said.

She thought back to when Will had given her that advice, and El remembered that she had taken it for a short time… until Max had told her that Mike had asked Lindsey to homecoming. El had concealed it in front of Max, but when she was finally alone, she hadn’t been able to breathe. She had started to spiral into a panic, thinking of Mike moving on with another girl, as selfish as she may have been. And that’s when she had accepted a date with Brad… right in front of Mike. God, that was probably the most spiteful thing she had done.

“This time I know there’s still hope for Mike and me,” she elaborated. “We are both taking time to figure ourselves out. I couldn’t do it last time… not knowing he was with Lindsey.”

“That’s pretty selfish,” Will said bluntly.

“I know,” El agreed quickly. “And I know I didn’t exactly handle that the best… But I think this will be good for both of us.”

El had spared the rest of the details of she and Mike’s conversation; it wasn’t Will or any of their other friends’ business the intimate details. She had, however, told Will (and Max when she called her later) that Mike had encouraged her to start spending more time with everyone again, not wanting her to feel unwelcome.

So, that’s exactly what she did. That Monday at school, the first day back after her talk with Mike, El was so nervous to join the boys at lunch that her hands were shaking, causing the food to jostle around on her lunch tray.

“Calm down, it’s okay,” Max said quietly. “They’re your friends, and Mike even told you he wants you to do this. Like he said, he’s the one who asked for space. If he doesn’t want to be around you, he’ll leave.”

El and Max approached the table, and it looked like Mike had informed the others that the girls would be joining them again, as Lucas appeared to have the two seats to his left saved. Mike sat across from Lucas. The girls came up and greeted the four who were already seated; Max gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek as she sat next to him and across from Dustin, and El smiled kindly as she sat across from Will. Mike and El were as far away from each other in the group as they could have been, but they were all six sitting together for the first time in months. It was a start.

That whole week, the seating arrangements were the same at lunch. As the days passed, El felt Mike start to become more comfortable with her being around again. That Wednesday, she had caught his eye after laughing at something he said, and she smiled warmly at the light blush that crossed his cheekbones and bridge of his nose before he looked away. It was almost like they were twelve years old again and first exploring their feelings for each other. Though back then, it had been the beginnings of a crush that would quickly develop into a love stronger than El had ever believed herself to be capable of experiencing. And now, it was the beginnings of two lovers attempting to rebuild what had been damaged and hoping to return to a love even stronger than before.

Friday, the last day of school before Christmas break, Mike addressed El individually for the first time all week. In the group setting, he hadn’t ignored her by any means, but this time he walked with her from the cafeteria all the way to her locker after lunch.

“I probably won’t really be seeing you much for the next three weeks,” he had said, and El hid the feeling that she had been punched in the stomach. “So I wanted to make sure to tell you Merry Christmas and I hope you have a good break.”

“Thanks, Mike,” El smiled painfully at the realization that the progress they had made over the week could easily be lost over the next three. “I hope you do too. Tell your family Merry Christmas.”

She had not waited for a response but gave him one last smile before walking away to her next class.

Just as she feared, the first week of break passed without El hearing a word from Mike. She was actually confused that Will had been home most of the week, as she was certain he would’ve spent nearly every minute at Mike’s house with the party. 

On Christmas morning, El awoke feeling glum. She loved spending Christmas with Mike… exchanging presents, letting him pull her under the mistletoe and ignoring the sarcastic comments from whoever was nearby, laying against him on the couch when they stayed up after his family all went to sleep so they could finally have some alone time while they rested silently in the colorful glow of the Christmas tree while the snow glistened outside the window. This was the first Christmas morning in years that she awoke feeling a sense of sadness. The first Christmas morning in years that she wouldn’t be spending with Mike.

“Merry Christmas!” Will exclaimed the second he saw El emerging, which triggered Joyce and Jonathan to perk up and greet El as well.

“Merry Christmas,” El replied, walking over to hug each of them, determined not to dampen her family’s Christmas morning with her mood.

Christmas morning passed as usual; the four of them exchanged gifts before Joyce cooked them all breakfast. Afterward, Jonathan announced he was going to the Wheelers’ house to spend the rest of Christmas Day with Nancy, and El felt the sting of knowing that she should be going too.

“Are you having a nice Christmas, honey?” Joyce asked, sitting next to El at the kitchen table after Will had gone to his room to call his friends on his supercom and tell them Merry Christmas.

“Yes, I appreciate everything. I can’t wait to wear that blue sweater, and I needed a bigger curling iron,” El smiled.

“I’m glad you liked your gifts,” Joyce beamed. She hesitated. “Is everything… else okay?”

“I’m really not good at hiding it, am I?” El sighed, her lips curling into a defeated smile.

“Not really,” Joyce chuckled.

“Everything Mike said makes sense about needing space and time to figure things out. And I know it will be good for both of us. It’s just… ugh,” El groaned and covered her face with her hands. “I was doing so much better after talking to him, and I thought we were making progress that whole week at school, slowly. But now… this day just sucks.”

“Oh, honey, I thought that may be what’s bothering you,” Joyce said gently, wrapping her arm around El’s shoulders. “It’s your first real Christmas without him. It’s okay to feel sad about that. It doesn’t mean the progress you’ve felt isn’t real.”

“Really?” El asked, her hopeful eyes shining up at Joyce.

“Of course. Hell, believe it or not, I even felt sad on my first Christmas after Lonnie and I divorced,” Joyce admitted.

“You did?” El asked.

“I sure did,” Joyce confirmed. “When you spend so many years with someone, you develop traditions, and you become accustomed to having that person and those traditions around. And even though things were bad with Lonnie, the first holiday without him was still hard. It was the first time since the divorce that I really felt like a failure. I mean, here it is, Christmas Day. The one day the whole family is supposed to come together, and my boys were being deprived of that.”

“You don’t still feel that way, do you?” El asked, creasing her forehead in concern.

“No, honey, I don’t,” Joyce replied. “Even when sadness would hit me, I knew the divorce was what was best for everyone. I knew that relationship was dead. And when I felt like a failure because my boys couldn’t have their whole family together for Christmas, I reminded myself that they were better off having divorced parents and a happy, healthy mother than having miserably married parents who screamed at each other more than they spoke.”

“So what you’re saying is that even though you were sad about what you had to do, the good outweighed the bad,” El inferred.

“Exactly. I know your situation is completely different from mine. But just know that it is completely normal to feel sad that Mike isn’t with you on Christmas, and try to find the good that will come out of this,” Joyce said, stroking El’s hair.

“It is really hard for me to not spend this day with him,” El said. “But, I know this time apart is what he needs. I’m doing what he needs, and if that will make him happy, then… that outweighs being sad about it.”

Joyce squeezed El tightly and reminded her once more than it was okay to feel sad and that if El needed anything, Joyce was always there for her. El spent the rest of the day putting away her Christmas presents and watching Christmas movies with Joyce and Will.

Around 7:30pm, the phone rang, and Will answered it in the hall. El heard the distant sound of his voice, but she did her best to tune him out and watch the movie that was playing on the television. That is, until Will poked his head around and said her name to get her attention.

“The phone’s for you,” he said.

El furrowed her brow but stood from the couch and walked toward the hall. Who would be calling her? Max, Lucas, and Dustin had all already called to wish both Will and her a Merry Christmas. She had assumed Mike had called Will either on the supercom or on the phone and just not asked to speak with her.

“Hello?” El said when she put the receiver to her ear and Will exited the hall.

“Hey, El. I just wanted to call and tell you Merry Christmas,” Mike’s voice replied, and El could hardly control the smile that stretched across her face.

“Umm… thanks, Mike,” she managed to reply. El felt ridiculous at the lump forming in her throat. “M-Merry Christmas.”

“Are you okay?” Mike asked, and El chuckled. It was just like him to pick up on her slightest discomfort.

“Yeah,” she said through a breathy laugh. “Yeah, I’m fine… Did you have a good Christmas?”

“Yeah, it was good, just busy. Mom hosted the whole family this year, so I spent the whole afternoon making smalltalk with people I only see maybe once a year,” Mike replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to call sooner, but the day flew by and all of a sudden it was dark out.”

“It’s okay,” El said quickly, feeling relieved that he hadn’t been ignoring her, he had just been busy with his family.

“But how was your day?” Mike asked.

“It was good,” El replied. “We did presents and breakfast this morning, and I’ve just been hanging around the house watching movies with Mom and Will all afternoon. Jonathan left this morning to spend the day with Nancy… but I guess you already knew that.” She and Mike both laughed.

“Yeah, he’s still here,” Mike said. “But that’s good. I’m glad you had a good Christmas.”

It fell silent as El’s mind flashed back to all the Christmases she and Mike spent together, and she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from bringing any of them up. She wondered if Mike was thinking about those times too.

“Hey, El, I have to go,” Mike broke the silence after a few moments.

“Oh, okay,” El said. “Thanks for calling. Merry Christmas, Mike.”

“Merry Christmas, El.”

After they got off the phone, El didn’t hear from Mike again for another few days. She was in the living room when Will came in and asked if she wanted to join him and the rest of the party at the arcade. El quickly agreed, and the two of them hopped into Will’s car to go meet their friends.

When they arrived, Mike and Dustin were already inside, and Lucas and Max had not shown up yet. Will immediately approached Dustin and said something that El couldn’t hear. Dustin and Will started walking away, and Dustin called over his shoulder that they would be back in a few minutes. El realized they had left she and Mike alone, and she looked over at Mike. She caught him staring back at her, and he suddenly looked to his left like he was looking for something, but El didn’t buy that, as she knew Mike had this place memorized. She bit her bottom lip and waited as Mike stood across from her with his hands in his pockets.

“So, uh… I don’t know where the hell they ran off to, but…” Mike trailed off like he was searching for something to fill the silence with between he and El.

“Play me in Dig Dug?” El offered quickly, hoping it could ease the tension. Mike looked at her for a moment as if he was considering her offer, and then he broke into a smile.

“You’re on,” he said simply and led her over to the Dig Dug machine. “Ladies first.”

“Thanks, but, they save the best for last. So you can go first,” El teased, grinning and gesturing toward the game.

“Are you trash-talking me, El?” Mike teased back, placing a hand on his chest and feigning shock. “I’ve been playing video games since I was born.”

“Yet the high scores on this game all belong to someone called MadMax, who as you may recall, is my best friend. She may have taught me a thing or two,” El shrugged playfully.

“Very well,” Mike relented with a chuckle, taking the role of Player 1.

El and Mike quickly lost themselves in the game, taking turns handling the joystick and battling each other, each trying to live up to the smack they had playfully talked before starting. When El won, Mike insisted that they play the best two out of three. Mike won next, so they started their third game as the tie-breaker. When Mike finally lost, El shot her arms into the air and jumped up in victory.

“Told you!” she teased him, grinning widely.

“All right, you win,” Mike laughed as they stepped away from the game they had been occupying for the past half hour.

“What do I win?” El asked playfully.

“What do you win?” Mike repeated, furrowing his brow.

“Yeah, I beat you. So what’s my prize? What do I win?” El teased.

“Well, what do you want?” Mike smiled.

El’s playfulness slowly left the smile on her face, and she felt a hint of sadness coming back. She noticed the second that Mike realized the change in her demeanor, because he looked down at the ground and shoved his hands into his pockets again.

“We should, uh…” Mike cleared his throat and looked around, spotting the rest of the party. “Come on, they’re over here.”

El nodded and followed him to the machine that their friends were all huddled around, Lucas and Max having shown up by now.

“Hey, nice of you to join us,” Lucas greeted Mike and El when they reached their friends.

“You’re the ones that were late,” Mike retorted.

“We’ve been here for fifteen minutes, man,” Lucas said. “We gave up on calling your names. There was no getting your attention.”

“It’s like you guys were in your own world,” Dustin chimed in.

“Yeah, well,” Mike shrugged, and El snuck a glance up at him from the corner of her eye. “We were wrapped up in the game. You know how that goes.”

After the afternoon at the arcade, El went back to not hearing anything from Mike. She didn’t hear from or see Mike again until New Year’s Eve. El had been preparing for another sad holiday, assuming that even though she had felt like she was doing really well, spending New Years without Mike would still hurt, albeit slightly less than Christmas. However, her expectations of spending New Years with just her family were quickly changed when Dustin excitedly told the party that they were invited over to Steve Harrington’s house for the night.

Apparently, Dustin had been badgering Steve about his New Years plans, and when Steve admitted that he didn’t have any concrete plans, Dustin begged for Steve to let them all come over until he finally gave in. El was certainly excited to spend the holiday with her friends, and she hoped all of them showed up.

When they got to Steve’s house, El and Will were greeted by Steve with a blonde on his arm that they did not recognize. Steve welcomed them inside, and El and Will turned into the living room to see Dustin waiting at the end of a beer pong table. Dustin lit up at the sight of El and Will entering, immediately claiming one of them as his beer pong partner to take on Steve and his woman. Will lost the silent battle that he and El had and joined Dustin at the end of the table. El chuckled and made her way into the kitchen where she found the biggest array of alcohol that she had ever seen. More than there was at the frat party, more than there was at Tyler’s homecoming party. She shook her head and grabbed a cup. Moments later, she was joined by Max who immediately took her cup and fixed her a drink.

When the girls reentered the living room, El saw that Lucas and Mike had also shown up, probably at the same time Max did. Max pulled El onto the couch with her to talk while Dustin and Will played Steve and his female companion in beer pong. When Max saw that the cups on the table were dwindling, she shot her arm up and exclaimed that she and El would play the winning team. El snapped her head toward Max, telling her with her eyes that she had never played before, but Max assured her it was pretty self-explanatory.

Dustin sank the winning shot, and Steve claimed that he lost on purpose. Max and El took over at the end opposite from Dustin and Will, and the teenagers reassembled the cups. El was on her second drink and was starting to feel loosened up. She threw the ping pong ball like Max instructed and sank it right in the center cup. Max squealed and hugged her, spinning her around, and when El’s gaze fell over the couch where Lucas and Mike were sitting, she blushed when she saw Mike watching her.

The game continued, both teams staying mostly even with each other. In the end, Dustin ended up with the winning move against the girls, claiming that he doesn’t really even need a partner and can beat anyone on his own. 

“That arrogant bullshit is why you don’t have a New Year’s kiss, Dusty-bun,” Max exclaimed, stumbling over to the couch and slumping onto it as Lucas handed her another drink.

“It’s been three years. Can you forget that fucking nickname?” Dustin snapped, taking a swig of his beer. “And I’m not the only one without a New Year’s kiss. What’s your bullshit reason for Will?”

“Will has… wait,” Max turned to face Will. “What happened to Jenni… Jenna… Jessi… the girl?”

“Jessica and I still talk every now and then, but, you know, it’s nothing serious,” Will replied modestly, sipping from his cup.

“Well, there ya go! If it’s nothing serious, you can be Dusty-bun’s kiss!” Max exclaimed.

“For the love of god, stop calling me that!” Dustin hollered as Max laid across Lucas’s lap laughing.

“You’re not going to make it to midnight if you don’t slow down,” Lucas said lowly, stroking his fingers through Max’s hair.

“I’m fine,” Max waved her hand.

El continued to sip her drink, her mind stuck on Max’s comments about New Year’s kisses. Technically, Max and Lucas were the only couple there… well, Steve had a girl over, but El wasn’t sure of the situation there, nor did she care to find out. What was El supposed to do at midnight? She was not able to ponder this for long because Steve came out with a bottle of booze and eight shot glasses.

By the time 11:45pm rolled around, El was drunk. She stumbled into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. A moment later, she felt someone come up beside her and place a hand on her shoulder.

“You doing okay?” Mike asked, and El turned to him and smiled.

“Are you doing okay?” El quipped, playfully pushing his shoulder.

“I’m not the one stumbling from room to room,” Mike chuckled.

“Well you need to get drunker, Mikey, y’only have fifteen minutes,” El slurred comically.

“I’m drunk enough,” Mike said. “Besides, I need to make sure you’re okay… Well – you and everyone else, I mean.”

Even in her drunken state, El was touched that Mike was looking out for her. She stared into his dark eyes, a familiar longing awakening inside of her, and she heard herself start to speak.

“Kiss me at midnight,” she requested in a firm, but somehow gentle, tone.

“What?” Mike asked, taken aback.

“That’s what I want. You asked me what I want for beating you at Dig Dug. One kiss at midnight. Please,” El repeated.

“El, I…” Mike sighed.

El held her breath while Mike looked at her, and she tried to focus on the emotion in his eyes, but her head wouldn’t stop spinning. She was drunk, but she knew what she was saying, and she knew that she meant every word. Right as Mike opened his mouth to speak again, Dustin appeared in the doorway and called them into the living room for the countdown to New Year’s.

El and Mike stood just inside the doorway in the living room. Everyone had their backs to them; Max and Lucas were seated on the couch while Max’s head laid on Lucas’s shoulder, Steve sat on the armchair with his girl’s legs draped over his lap, and Dustin and Will both stood near the center of the room. Everyone’s eyes were on the television as the countdown started. 

Behind them, El was staring straight ahead, but she was hardly watching the television. She kept glancing at Mike out of the corner of her eye to see if he was showing any signs of taking her up on her offer from the kitchen. 

The time was getting closer, and her friends were getting louder.

“13… 12… 11… 10…”

El didn’t join them, and she didn’t hear Mike join them either. She fully turned her head toward him and saw that he was nibbling the inside of his bottom lip anxiously as the countdown progressed. 

“9… 8… 7… 6…”

El kept her eyes on Mike, and she saw him sneak a glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

“5… 4…”

She held her breath again as her heart beat faster.

“3…”

Was he going to do it?

“2…”

He didn’t even turn to look at her.

“1…”

El exhaled, deflated.

“Happy New Year!”

Everyone hollered out in celebration except Mike and El. The two couples seated in the living room began kissing, and Dustin and Will ran out the front door, Dustin with two beers in hand, having convinced Will to shotgun them with him at midnight.

El hung her head, almost embarrassed to meet Mike’s eyes, and she started to walk away from him, when she felt him grab her wrist.

“El, wait,” Mike said softly, and El turned around and looked up at him.

From the corner of her eye, El could see the two couples in the room still making out, but they quickly faded from her view, and all she could see was Mike. His pupils were blown, making his already dark eyes look nearly black. He was looking down at her with a soft, almost adoring, expression, and El felt him begin to rub his thumb back and forth over the skin on her wrist.

Then, Mike leaned in and his lips met hers. It was soft, but El could feel the passion was still there. She closed her eyes and rested one of her hands in his hair while he wrapped his arms around her waist. El tasted the alcohol on his breath, but he also tasted like him. She felt Mike start to pull back, and she pouted when the kiss ended just as quickly as it had started.

“Happy New Year, El,” Mike whispered.

“Happy New Year, Mike,” El said just as softly, her head still spinning, but this time she knew it was not from the alcohol.

After New Years, they only had one more week off from school, and El wondered daily how things would be between Mike and her. Would they still only see each other at lunch, and even then with minimal interaction? It seemed like he had gotten a little more comfortable with her during break… he called her on Christmas, kissed her on New Years, and El was pretty sure they had both been flirting a little bit at the arcade that day. The six of them had all hung out at Mike’s house twice, and while it was still difficult for El to be spending time with him without touching him, kissing him, or saying the affectionate things she used to, it was also nice to feel welcome at his house again with their friends. But still, would being back at school change the progress they had made?

Friday, just three days before returning to school from break, El sat down on the couch next to Joyce, and Joyce instantly noticed the pensive look on El’s face.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, and El sighed.

“I’m a little nervous about going back to school,” El admitted. “I know it’s going to take time to completely fix everything, but I feel like Mike and I have really made some progress the last few weeks, and I don’t want that to change when we get back to school.”

“Change how?” Joyce asked, slightly confused.

“When it’s just the six of us, it’s fine. It’s comfortable and familiar, and no, Mike and I aren’t one hundred percent normal by any means, but… I don’t know. It feels like us, almost,” El tried to explain. “But at school there are other people and distractions and classes… People who know things and have heard rumors. It’s just different.”

“El, I know it’s high school, but do you really think other students are paying any mind to what’s going on with you and Mike?” Joyce asked. “Sweetie, people are focused on their own friends and their classes, and sure, maybe they’ll talk about a rumor or something that happened for a little bit, but with the amount of kids at that place and the amount of stuff that happens on a daily basis, I can assure you, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Okay…” El said slowly. “But what if… what if things just feel different when we’re back at school? I don’t know why, I’m just worried about it.”

“Overthinking it is going to stress yourself out,” Joyce explained. “You and Mike are taking this time to yourselves, and I know you’re going to see each other some, but ever since you and he had that talk, what have you really done to focus on you?”

El thought for a moment. She thought she had grown a bit. After all, she was respecting what Mike wanted and giving him the space he asked for. When they did see each other, El never initiated it, she only came places when invited, and she never called him. Before, El thinks she would have been too selfish to be able to do that. She expressed this to Joyce.

“Those are all good things, El, but I mean what have you done for you? Not for Mike,” Joyce clarified.

“Well… I guess nothing,” El admitted after another moment.

“Take some time to focus on yourself outside of your relationship. Focus on what you enjoy and what makes you happy, other than Mike. Maybe you’ll discover a new passion or make a new friend or just learn something new about yourself,” Joyce encouraged her.

So that’s what El did. She had always had an aptitude for English, particularly writing, as she found it to be the perfect outlet to express herself. El had kept journals for several years, though she didn’t write in them daily, just when inspiration struck her or her thoughts were overflowing and she needed to get them out. She knew there was a creative writing club led by her new English teacher that encouraged students to hone their writing skills, and El decided to check it out. After the first meeting, she found that she loved it. She loved being provided with prompts to just let her imagination run wild with, and she loved the ability to simply make her own thoughts and experiences into something. It gave her something to do, and it allowed her to explore a passion that she never really allowed to come through.

El also decided that she was going to try harder in her classes. Not that she didn’t try before, but El often hurried through her homework so she could hang out with Mike, even though he encouraged her to take her time with it. She loved learning new things, and even though it was the final semester of her senior year, El figured it was not too late to delve into her studies and finish her high school career as strongly as she could. Plus, she figured that instilling these new study habits now would benefit her later in the year when college started.

College. That was another thing. The thought of leaving Hawkins in a few months and leaving Joyce behind and separating from most of her friends still made her stomach turn. El decided she wanted to be as prepared as possible for the life changes that would be coming her way, so she started researching more about the university… what types of clubs and extra-curriculars they offered, what opportunities for part-time on-campus jobs they had. She wanted to make the most of her college years, and El wanted to be prepared.

Her new focus on herself instilled a change in El that she hadn’t been expecting and couldn’t quite explain. She felt happier. She felt healthier, both mentally and physically, somehow. While she still loved Mike and wanted to mend their relationship, she found herself not feeling nearly as sad all the time. 

El still saw Mike on a daily basis, as the six of them ate lunch together every day. She didn’t even notice when it happened, but somehow the seating arrangements started changing, and El found herself sitting across from Mike during lunch. Sometimes she would feel their feet touch one another’s under the table, and she wondered if it was intentional, but neither of them pulled away.

One day, about three weeks in to January, Mike seemed like a whole new person. He looked and sounded happier, like he had experienced some type of huge relief. He smiled brighter and talked and laughed more. El didn’t know what happened, and she wasn’t quite sure if it was her place to ask, but she was happy about whatever it was.

El hung out with the entire party at Mike’s house just once a week. She wanted to make sure to give Mike time with his friends without her around, and El also wanted to spend time just hanging out with Max. Plus, with her new hobbies and interests she was uncovering, El found a whole new appreciation for alone time, and she often took advantage of it. 

Soon, February was starting. Max and El were hanging out in El’s room one day after school.

“You know, I’m really proud of you,” Max said. “You’ve really come out of your shell more the past month or so. The old El would’ve never gone out of her way to become more involved at school.”

“I wish I had done it sooner,” El said. “I love you guys, all five of you, but I’ve made a couple new friends, and I’m really enjoying school now. And I’m getting excited for college, even though…”

“I’m going to miss you too,” Max said knowingly. It was silent for a moment. “So what about you and Mike?”

“I’m still hopeful,” El replied, smiling at the sound of his name. “I knew all along that I wouldn’t know how long this whole time and space thing would last.”

“Have you guys talked since that day in his basement? It’s been almost two months,” Max said.

“We hang out with you guys, but no, nothing one-on-one,” El replied. She shrugged. “I still miss him, and I love him so much, so I’m doing my best to be patient and wait for him to figure out whatever he needs to so we can both be ready.”

Max nodded but remained silent, so El continued.

“I think something happened about a week ago,” she said. “Mike seemed different… happier, relieved. I don’t know what it was, but it seemed like a good sign.”

“I know what it was. Lucas told me,” Max said. “Do you think you’re going to try and talk to him again? Showing up at his door that day really worked out in a way… If you hadn’t, that talk may never have happened, and you both may not be where you are now.”

“I don’t think so,” El replied. “That day, Mike and I were completely honest with each other about everything, and we both know we still love each other. He asked me to give him time, so that’s what I’m doing. It hasn’t always been easy… The first month was pretty hard. But I’ll wait as long as I need to. I just want him to be happy.”

A few days later, the six of them all hung out at Mike’s house all evening. As everyone was leaving, Max said she forgot something and turned to go back inside. El offered to wait for her, but Max told El to go ahead and she would have Lucas give her a ride home. El shrugged, not thinking too much of it, but also wondering why Max didn’t want her to wait if it would only be a minute or two.

That had only been one day ago.

Now, El stood at her locker, getting her books out for her morning classes. It had certainly been an eventful two months, but she was overall happy with where she was personally. Her only hope was that Mike was happy with where he was too, and that soon, the friendship that they had been rebuilding would be ready for the next step.

That’s why El’s breath caught in her throat when she looked up and saw Mike walking toward her. He hadn’t stopped by her locker before school in so many months. She closed her locker door and looked up at him. He looked nervous, which she found cute, given their entire history together. She looked into his eyes and waited for him to speak.

“Do you have a minute?”


	24. Chapter 24

The two months since El had shown up at his basement door declaring that she wanted to get back together and opening up their long-awaited, much needed discussion had been quite an emotional roller coaster for Mike. By the end of their talk, he really had been glad that she had come over because he felt like they both got the chance to say more to each other than they had in months… things that really needed to be said… things that Mike, in the moment, couldn’t believe were actually coming out of his mouth. 

Being honest with El was something Mike had always strived to do, but he had never thought he would be feeling some of the things he was feeling about himself and their relationship. Seeing the look on her face when he had admitted his doubt about her love for him, or when he shared his insecurity of knowing he would never look like those bulky, muscular guys like Brad or like guys she may meet in college… She had looked so broken when he admitted how he felt.

But in the end, they had reached an agreement, and Mike knew it was a solid starting point for their long road to recovery. Luckily, El had agreed to the time and space that Mike had requested. Of course, he had encouraged her to come around the party more often again. Mike knew ever since the breakup that El’s relationship with most of the party members had changed, and not for the better. Lucas had pretty much cut her out of his life until everything with Brad blew up, and even then, while Lucas was friendly to her, he never really went out of his way to spend time with her. Dustin had that study hall with her every day, and Mike knew the two of them talked and worked on homework together, but to Mike’s knowledge, Dustin didn’t really make a regular effort outside of school either. Will and Max were the only two who didn’t seemingly abandon El, and Mike wanted her to feel welcome around the only friends she had ever known.

How would he feel having El around again, though? Would things be awkward or tense? Should he try to talk to her like normal? Would that confuse her or send her mixed signals? Mike decided that he could be cordial in a group setting and simply not focus too much individual attention on her, and if things began to feel uncomfortable, he could always excuse himself and leave the situation. After all, he had assured El that since he was the one seeking space, he would figure it out for himself. He didn’t think it would be fair to ask her to continue separating herself from her friends.

The first day of school after his conversation with El, Mike was nervously bouncing his leg under the lunch table as he sat across from Lucas, waiting for Dustin and Will. When the two boys arrived, Dustin sat next to Mike, and Will walked toward the other side to sit next to Lucas until Mike stopped him.

“Will, could you, uh, sit on this side by Dustin?” he asked awkwardly. He took a deep breath before answering the confused expression on his friend’s face. “Max and El are going to be joining us, so…”

Will smiled knowingly and silently agreed to sit next to Dustin, leaving the two seats to Lucas’s left unoccupied.

“How do you feel about having her around again?” Lucas asked.

“Clearly calm, cool, and collected,” Dustin said sarcastically, glancing down at Mike’s anxiously bouncing leg next to him.

“Sorry,” Mike muttered and steadied his leg, turning instead to tapping his thumb against his tray.

“You don’t have anything to worry about. It’s just lunch, so it’s less than an hour. If you want to leave early, I’ll come with you,” Lucas offered.

“You don’t have to do that,” Mike shook his head.

“I know, but – oh, here they come,” Lucas warned.

Mike watched as Max gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek as she and El sat down. He felt an odd sense of normalcy and figured that even though becoming comfortable having lunch in a group setting was a baby step, it was a start.

The rest of the week passed with the six of them eating lunch together every day, El seated the furthest away from him but still with the group. Mike could feel that their bond was still there, even though it was weaker and damaged. He couldn’t help sneaking glances her way, and he noticed that she would do the same. One day, after she laughed at something he said, Mike felt a warm smile instinctively cross his face, and he felt himself blush before diverting his eyes. Things were moving slowly, only one hour a day for five consecutive days, but it was progress.

On the fifth day, Friday, Mike knew he would not be seeing El again for a while. They were about to be out of school for three weeks, and ordinarily, Mike knew he would spend every day of those three weeks with her, but not this time. He knew it would be too much. He still had things to figure out, and he needed to take things slowly. Still, the idea of not seeing her at all was unpleasant.

He walked with her to her locker after lunch, and he could tell she was surprised by this.

“I probably won’t really be seeing you much for the next three weeks,” Mike explained. “So I wanted to make sure to tell you Merry Christmas and I hope you have a good break.”

“Thanks, Mike,” El smiled, though Mike could tell she forced it for his benefit. She couldn’t hide the pain in her eyes from him. “I hope you do too. Tell your family Merry Christmas.”

Another strained smile, and then she walked away from him.

The first week of Christmas break was different this year than in years past. Ordinarily, he would have spent every day with El and his friends, but now he found himself actually enjoying quality time with his family… well, at least his mom and his sisters, much to his own surprise. Mike had kept his promise to Nancy to keep in touch better, and the two of them had grown closer even in the short amount of time since Thanksgiving.

With Nancy home from college, Karen kept them busy by sending them on grocery store runs for her upcoming holiday hosting, wrapping Holly’s presents late at night when the younger girl was sleeping, baking multiple batches of Christmas cookies and helping Holly decorate them, and helping with cleaning the house. These were all tasks that Mike would have normally tried to avoid, but he found himself doing them all without any complaints. Maybe it was because it gave him and Nancy more time to bond. Maybe it was because it kept his mind off of El and all of his problems. Maybe it was a combination of the two.

The week flew by, and Mike hardly noticed that he had barely seen any of his friends since the last day of school. He went to bed one night, exhausted from his mother’s errands and requests all day, and fell into a deep sleep, not even thinking about what day it was. 

Mike woke up the next morning with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He groggily wiped the sleep out of his eyes and rolled over, the aroma of eggs, bacon, and French toast sweeping through the crack under his door. Why was his mom up so early making such a big breakfast?

Oh. Mike realized. It’s finally Christmas.

He looked at the clock and saw it was almost 7:15 in the morning, and Mike was surprised Holly hadn’t bounded into his bedroom yet to demand that he get up for presents.

Speaking of presents, Mike pulled open the drawer of his nightstand to catch a glimpse of the small box that contained what was supposed to have been El’s Christmas present this year. 

When Mike had first seen it in the middle of July, he knew he had to get it for her. Of course, it was expensive, and Mike didn’t have all the money at the time, so he had put down what he could to secure it, and a few weeks later, he was able to stash it in his nightstand with plans to give it to her on Christmas. She would love it; Mike could see her beautiful brown eyes widen and fill with tears before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. She would kiss him and tell him how much she loved him, and she would probably say something about how she was sorry she didn’t get him something better. Mike would assure her that he loved whatever she got him and that the only thing he needed was her, anyway. They would make love, and everything would be perfect.

Mike closed the drawer, knowing none of that would be happening today. When she had broken up with him, Mike thought about taking it back, seeing how much of his money he could get back. But even though he had thought he and El were done, even though he was dating someone new and she was too, Mike couldn’t take the gift back. It was El’s. So, it had sat in that drawer for months, and it would continue to sit there.

The drawer next to it contained something else Mike had refused to get rid of. He opened it and pulled out the framed photo of him and El that usually sat on his nightstand, so that even when she wasn’t with him all night, her smiling face was still the first thing he would see in the morning. That photo had been placed in that drawer the night he had come home in tears after having his heart broken, and before today, he had only looked at it one other time: the morning he had awoken from that dream and reached out for her only to be met with an empty bed.

He placed the photo back in the drawer and closed it, laying back on his pillows and staring up at the ceiling. He was supposed to have stayed the night with her last night because she had stayed the night with him on Christmas Eve last year.

Mike thought back to last year. It had taken a bit of convincing to get his parents and Joyce to agree, but eventually they had given in and let El spend the night on Christmas Eve. Mike was sure that his parents and Joyce all assumed that the two of them were being intimate with each other anyway after being together for so long, and Joyce, for one, knew how happy it would make El to be able to wake up Christmas morning with Mike. So, they gave in.

That had been the best Christmas ever. They had stayed up late on Christmas Eve, cuddling on the couch just enjoying each other’s silent presence in the glow of the Christmas tree. When they finally went upstairs, Mike had fallen asleep with El in his arms, wrapped up in warm blankets, the only sound being their faint breathing. He had woken up to El surprising him with a special kind of Christmas present before going downstairs to join his family. He had pulled her close to him underneath the mistletoe hanging in the doorway to the living room and kissed her slowly, ignoring the gagging sounds that Holly made as she passed by.

That Christmas had been perfect. And this Christmas was supposed to have been even better.

Mike reluctantly got up and showered and dressed for the day, knowing his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would be arriving within the next few hours. When he came downstairs and greeted his mom and sisters with barely more than a grunt, Nancy shot him a questioning look and he avoided her eyes.

Ted wandered into the dining room, and the five of them ate the breakfast Karen had prepared. Afterward, they moved into the living room and exchanged presents and watched Holly open her mountain of gifts.

When the doorbell rang and Jonathan entered, Mike felt another pang of sadness as the thought crossed his mind that Christmas morning at the Byers’ house was finished, and if things weren’t so fucked up, he and El would be walking in with Jonathan right now to spend the rest of the day with his family after having spent the morning with hers.

The family trickled in soon after. Mike’s grandparents arrived first, followed by Karen’s brother and his wife and two daughters, and lastly by Karen’s sister and her husband and daughter. Karen’s sister was pregnant, and Mike assumed it would be another girl. He was used to being the only boy in the family, and truthfully, he was rather thankful for it today because none of his female cousins paid him any mind; they would spend the afternoon playing with Holly after eating, and Mike would be able to hopefully sneak off for some privacy.

His plan to acquire some privacy never came to fruition. Every time Mike would move to go upstairs, one of his uncles would grab his attention and bring him into a conversation about his future. Mike grew tired very quickly of answering the same questions. He knew these people didn’t really care and probably wouldn’t even remember his answers, but this is simply what is done at family gatherings.

Finally, Mike’s grandparents came around to hug and kiss everyone goodbye, thanking Karen for hosting, and leaving for the night. Once the first departure was made, Karen’s siblings and their families soon followed suit, and the Wheeler house was left with just the immediate family and Jonathan. Mike helped his mom with the dishes as Nancy cleaned up the living room, and as soon as the final dish was put away, Mike hugged his mom good night and quickly made his way upstairs.

He laid down on his bed and looked at the clock on his bedside table. 7:15pm. The day was gone. He never even got the chance to talk to any of his friends. He had thought he heard his supercom crackling with Will’s voice earlier in the day, but Mike was never able to get away and answer. Now that he finally had time to himself, Mike called Lucas and Dustin on his supercom and wished them a Merry Christmas. He was about to call Will when he suddenly thought about El. Certainly, he couldn’t just call and talk to Will and not speak with El… and he couldn’t very well just ask Will to tell El Merry Christmas for him… Plus, hearing her voice would be nice…

“Hey,” Nancy’s voice interrupted Mike’s thoughts from his doorway.

“Hey,” Mike responded, sitting up.

“Jonathan and I were just about to relax for the night, but I wanted to see how you’re doing,” Nancy said, walking in and taking a seat at Mike’s desk chair.

“I’m okay,” Mike sighed, and Nancy gave him a knowing look.

“It’s okay if you’re having a hard time today,” she assured him.

“So you’ve known all day?” he asked.

“From the moment you came downstairs,” Nancy confirmed. “You’re not very subtle.”

“This day was a lot harder than I expected,” Mike admitted. “I know I’m doing the right thing. Getting back together right away would have only complicated things. But this feeling I’ve had all day just sucks.”

“I know,” Nancy said. “But how are things going? Taking time to yourself, rebuilding your foundation with El?”

“I think things are going well,” Mike replied. “It’s getting easier to hang out as a whole group again. I was actually thinking…”

“What were you thinking?” Nancy prodded.

“I was thinking about calling her and just talking for a few minutes… tell her Merry Christmas, ask her how her day was. We haven’t spoken at all in a week,” Mike said.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Nancy nodded.

“You don’t think it would send any mixed signals?” Mike asked.

“What type of mixed signals? The reason you two aren’t together isn’t because you don’t love each other. It’s because you both need to work on yourselves. You’re working on rebuilding your friendship, aren’t you? Friends call each other on holidays,” Nancy pointed out. “I think she would love to hear from you. I bet it would make her whole evening.”

After Nancy left his room, Mike went out to use the phone in the hall. He called the Byers’ house, and when Will answered, Mike told him Merry Christmas and chatted for a moment before asking to speak with El. He waited while he heard Will call for El, and after some brief shuffling, her voice finally rang through.

“Hello?”

“Hey El,” Mike breathed. Something about hearing her voice after a week still caused his mood to naturally brighten. “I just wanted to call and tell you Merry Christmas.”

“Umm… thanks, Mike. M-Merry Christmas.”

Mike frowned. It sounded like her throat had tightened, straining her words. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, unable to conceal his concern.

“Yeah,” she laughed. “Yeah, I’m fine… Did you have a good Christmas?”

Mike told her about his Christmas Day with his family and listened to El tell him about her day with the Byers’. Moments later, the line turned silent as Mike’s mind flashed back to last Christmas again and then to that little box burning a hole in his nightstand drawer.

“Hey El,” he said quickly. “I have to go.”

He told her goodbye and hung up the phone, leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed, happy he had decided to call her.

A week later, Mike found himself walking into Steve Harrington’s house for New Years. He greeted Dustin and Will as Max bounded off toward the kitchen in search of El. When El emerged with a drink in her hand, Mike couldn’t help but immediately realize how beautiful she looked. 

Throughout the night, Mike stuck close to Lucas, halfway listening to what his friend had to say while sipping drink after drink and keeping an eye on what El was doing. He couldn’t help but beam with pride when she sunk her first shot at beer pong, and she looked so cute when she jumped up in excitement to hug Max.

By the time the girls lost to Dustin and Will, Mike was several beers in and was feeling pretty good. He chuckled along when Max started giving Dustin a hard time about not having a New Years kiss, and he tuned out when Max asked Will about Jessica. Mike glanced over at El and saw a contemplative look on her face. He wondered if she, too, was thinking about her own New Years kiss situation.

A couple hours later, Mike watched from the couch as El stumbled through the living room and disappeared through the doorway into the kitchen. He hoped she wasn’t going for more alcohol, and Mike decided to follow her in hopes of offering her a cup of water. He saw her leaning against the counter with her back facing him, and Mike walked quietly up next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“You doing okay?” he asked.

El turned and looked at him, her big beautiful eyes were drooping but still had that sparkle that seemed to show up when she looked at him.

“Are you doing okay?” she asked with a smile and playfully pushed his shoulder.

“I’m not the one stumbling from room to room,” Mike chuckled.

“Well you need to get drunker, Mikey, y’only have fifteen minutes,” El slurred.

Mike stifled a laugh at her drunken behavior. The only times he had ever heard El call him Mikey were when she was whining his name while teasingly begging for something she knew she was going to get her way with anyway because he always gave in to her.

“I’m drunk enough,” he said, observing her swaying back and forth. “Besides, I need to make sure you’re okay… Well – you and everyone else, I mean.”

Mike watched as El’s eyes filled with adoration and never left his face.

“Kiss me at midnight,” she requested.

“What?” Mike asked, his eyes widening.

“That’s what I want,” El said. “You asked me what I want for beating you at Dig Dug. One kiss at midnight. Please.”

That damn Dig Dug game. Mike flashed back to a few days prior when she had won fair and square two out of three games. Afterward, the two of them had gotten into a playful exchange about her prize, and Mike had asked what she wanted. He had instantly felt the atmosphere shift and fill with tension, knowing the real answer to that question was much deeper than what needed to be discussed at the arcade. But here, tonight, she drunkenly simplified it to a request for one kiss.

“El, I…”

Just then, Dustin came into the room to call the two of them in to the living room for the countdown to New Years.

Standing in the doorway next to El, Mike felt his hands starting to sweat. His friends were growing louder as the countdown got closer to zero, and Mike heard that El had not chimed in. He stood still, staring straight ahead at the television, his mind racing with what he should do. Out of the corner of his eye, Mike saw El fully turn to face him. He anxiously bit the inside of his bottom lip and snuck a glance her way, quickly returning his full attention straight ahead. 

“Happy New Year!”

Everyone in the room hollered in celebration except for Mike and El. Max and Lucas began their kiss, as did Steve and the woman he was with. Dustin and Will ran outside with beers in hand. Mike saw El hang her head in defeat, and he felt his heart crush in his chest. As she turned away from him, Mike’s hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“El, wait,” he said.

El turned and looked up at him, hope glowing in her eyes. He looked down into the same eyes that had mesmerized him for years and began to rub his thumb back and forth along her skin. 

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was because she asked him to. Maybe it was because of the longing he felt to have her soft lips pressed against his just for a moment. Mike knew it was likely a combination of the three.

He leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sweet, and it tasted like liquor. Mike wrapped his arms around her waist, and he felt as El weaved her fingers into his hair. Slowly, he pulled back, opening his eyes before El and looking down to see the cutest pout cross her face when the kiss ended.

“Happy New Year, El,” he whispered.

“Happy New Year, Mike.”

The final week of break passed quickly for Mike. The guys came over one day and spent nearly fourteen hours playing the D&D campaign that Mike had worked so long on. They hadn’t played in ages, and they knew they likely wouldn’t play again any time soon. D&D had long ago taken a backseat to the other happenings in their lives, but all four of them agreed it was a breath of fresh air to revert back to their simpler childhood days even if just for one day.

Other than that, Mike spent the week catching up on the schoolwork he had been assigned for over break, watching movies, and even babysitting Holly for a few hours. Sunday night, the day before starting the final semester of his senior year, Mike was laying in bed thinking about how things between he and El would be as of tomorrow.

He couldn’t deny that the two of them had made progress in repairing their relationship. But still, Mike knew there was something holding him back from going all in with El again. He knew it was Lindsey. He still hadn’t found his closure in that situation. Of course, he wasn’t sure that Lindsey would even talk to him. But he had to try. He couldn’t let anything cloud his mind if he really wanted things with El to work out. Mike had to find a way to completely clear his conscience and be on good terms with himself again. 

Mike closed his eyes as another thought crossed his mind. In less than six short months, they would all be graduating high school. He and El had gone into this phase knowing that they would take as much time as they needed, but Mike was starting to worry. What if he wasn’t ready to fully devote himself to his and El’s relationship for a few months yet? What if he and El finally get to a good place, and then the huge life change of college happens? He and El had not talked about college admissions at all. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes closed tighter. Mike knew he shouldn’t stress himself out even further. He needed to take it one issue at a time, and right now, the primary issue was becoming happy with himself, and that would largely entail trying to mend things with Lindsey, difficult as that may be.

When school started back up again, it wasn’t long before Mike started noticing a change in El. The way she carried herself became more confident. She began radiating confidence and a sense of belonging. From listening to her at the lunch table, Mike learned that she had been immersing herself more in school and her personal interests. He smiled and encouraged her, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t encouraged her to explore these sides of herself when they were together. Surely, he hadn’t unintentionally been holding her back, had he? Still, Mike was glad to see that some good was coming out of this time for El.

As the days went on, El became more bold toward him as well. Soon, she was sitting across from Mike at lunch, and he was certain that she initiated the smallest contact every now and then when her foot would graze his under the table. 

One day, Mike was hanging out with just the guys after school when Dustin blurted out what they had all apparently been thinking.

“When are you and El getting back together already?”

“When the time is right,” Mike replied simply.

“And when will that be?” Dustin pressed on.

“She and I both have some things we need to figure out for ourselves. Neither of us want to dive back in to things until we’re certain that we’re ready,” Mike explained.

“You both look pretty ready to me,” Dustin muttered.

Mike looked from Lucas to Will and saw from the looks on their faces that they both agreed with Dustin.

“You guys flirt all the time,” Lucas added. “There’s almost this ‘will-they-won’t-they’ tension between you guys.”

“You both have these heart eyes you look at each other with over the lunch table and you hang on each other’s every word,” Will chimed in.

“It’s sickening,” Dustin said.

“Wow, thanks,” Mike chuckled.

“I mean it’s sickening to watch two people so obviously in love with each other just act like two middle schoolers with a crush,” Dustin clarified.

“It’s complicated,” Mike sighed.

“Is it complicated, Mike? Or are you just making it complicated?” Dustin asked. “Is there something else going on?”

“Yeah, what’s holding you back?” Lucas inquired.

Mike sighed, deciding to give in and tell his friends the truth.

“Yes, I am in love with her. I always have been-”

“Shocker,” Dustin muttered.

“But there’s no way I could handle another breakup. So before getting back together, I need to be at a point where I’m confident that she loves me enough to really do this with me… that I won’t be putting my heart out there again to risk being broken when she sees some hot guy,” Mike explained.

“El’s not that shallow,” Will interjected.

“I always would’ve agreed with that… But just look at Brad,” Mike pointed out. “It’s just, I have to be confident that El knows I’m what she wants, regardless of anyone else’s opinions or influences.”

Lucas chuckled at Mike’s reference.

“No offense,” Mike added quickly.

“None taken,” Lucas shook his head. “Between us, it drives me crazy that Max doesn’t take relationships very seriously.”

“Wait… you and Max have a super casual relationship. Isn’t that the dream?” Dustin asked.

“At first, sure, it was great. I got to explore a bit, go out with other girls, Max did her thing. We always came back to each other, though,” Lucas explained. “To be completely honest, I would much rather have a commitment to each other.”

“So why don’t you tell her that?” Dustin asked, and Lucas shrugged.

“I guess it’s just easier to let her keep running things the way she wants them for now than to tell her what I want and risk losing her,” he said.

“Interesting,” Dustin muttered. “Incredibly stupid, and obviously self-torture… but interesting.”

“Yeah, well, love makes you do stupid things sometimes,” Lucas said.

“That actually brings me to the other thing holding me back from getting back together with El,” Mike said, redirecting the conversation.

“What’s that?” Will asked.

“I cheated on Lindsey with El,” Mike reminded them.

“Yes, and that was a shitty thing to do,” Dustin said. “But you’re not a shitty person.”

“Lindsey doesn’t see it that way,” Mike said.

He saw as realization struck his friends.

“I still feel horrible about hurting Lindsey the way I did, and I don’t want to bring that guilt into my relationship with El. How can we start fresh if I’m still carrying guilt from something we did in the past?” Mike continued.

“So… you need Lindsey to forgive you before you can be happy with El?” Dustin asked.

“I don’t know if that will ever happen,” Will said gently.

“I have to try,” Mike said.

“Why haven’t you?” Lucas asked.

“I didn’t know when would be a good time,” Mike shrugged. “My last interaction with her wasn’t exactly a good one.”

“I would say now is as good a time as any,” Lucas said.

Mike decided that night that Lucas was right. He had waited long enough, and it was time to try and get the closure he wanted.

It still took a few days for Mike to gather the courage, knowing that there was a good chance that Lindsey would either refuse to listen to him or that she would cause a scene and this whole thing would backfire on him. But one morning, Mike decided that today was the day, and he was leaning against Lindsey’s locker when she arrived at school for the day.

He saw her about halfway down the hallway, and he noticed the moment that she saw him at her locker. She hesitated, her forehead scrunched in confusion, but she continued walking toward him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, and Mike sensed more confusion than anger, so he took that as a good sign.

“There’s something I wanted to say to you, and you don’t have to say anything back if you don’t want to. I just need you to hear me out, and then I’ll never talk to you again, if that’s what you want,” Mike started.

Lindsey did not say anything, but she crossed her arms and nodded for him to continue.

“I want to apologize for everything. I was hurt, and I didn’t know what to do or how I was going to survive. And then you were there for me, and you listened to me, and you just made me feel so much better,” he said. “You took my mind off of everything, and it felt good to forget about… what happened with El.”

Mike tried to read Lindsey’s face, but she continued to study him, emotionless.

“But that was selfish of me. You were always so amazing, and you never did anything but care for me, and I took advantage of that because you made me feel better,” he continued. “But I swear I didn’t mean to use you, Linds. I didn’t even realize that’s what I was doing until… well until recently. I’ve had some time to reflect on things, and… God, you didn’t deserve anything that I put you through.”

He saw her expression soften ever so slightly.

“I was never over El. I was lying to myself and trying to convince myself that I was getting over her, but that just wasn’t true. You were right to call me out on that. I wish I could go back and change how I handled some things, but I just want you to know that I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart, for getting you involved in this mess… for stringing you along, for what I did and the way things ended… I’m sorry,” Mike finished and waited for the response he hoped would come.

He was starting to lose hope and was prepared to walk away when Lindsey shifted her feet, uncrossed her arms, and opened her mouth to speak.

“You know, Mike, I was really angry… so angry, and hurt, after everything ended,” she began softly. “But I’ve had time to think about things too, and looking back from how things started with us to how things ended… the signs really were there. The way you spoke about her, the things you did for her even when you were with me.”

Lindsey looked down for a moment and raised her eyes back to meet his.

“I guess that’s what sparked that ultimatum,” she admitted. “I couldn’t handle the uncertainty anymore, and it was kind of a last-ditch effort to get you to commit to our relationship and leave El in the past. But looking back on it now, that should’ve been the most obvious warning sign to me that this relationship was dead… Of course you were going to choose El. You never stopped choosing her.”

Mike couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was she actually understanding where he was coming from?

“I can be mad about you cheating on me, and believe me, I was,” Lindsey said. “But I can’t be mad at you for feeling the way you feel about someone. That isn’t something you can control. So, I appreciate your apology, and I accept it. Everyone deserves to be with someone who wants to be with them, too. I genuinely hope you and El are happy together.”

Mike smiled, the weight of the world feeling as if it were lifted from his shoulders.

“You really are amazing, you know that?” he asked, and Lindsey grinned in response. “Thank you for everything.”

The rest of the week passed quickly, as Mike felt like a whole new person. He had gotten the forgiveness that he never thought he deserved, and he couldn’t believe the impact it had on him immediately. He was feeling happier, not quite like his old self, but somehow a better version. Mike felt like he had accomplished what he set out to do with the time apart he had requested from El, but he still wasn’t quite ready to discuss getting back together with her.

She was glowing, it was obvious. Mike was certainly proud of her and happy for the changes and discoveries she had made about herself. He was pleased with the progress the two of them had made, and he knew he was madly in love with her. Sometimes he almost slipped up and held her hand when she was next to him or kissed her goodbye when they would part ways, but he always caught himself. Mike just felt like there was still something he needed to resolve before he could officially reignite his relationship with El. He just wasn’t sure what that was.

One evening, the entire party was over at Mike’s house. The six of them got together to hang out weekly. Mike and the boys hung out more often, and Max showed up on extra occasions here and there, but El really only came over once a week. If Mike were being honest, he kind of missed the six of them hanging out daily, but he was happy because he knew it meant El was taking the necessary time for herself.

That night, the ending credits of Raiders of the Lost Ark rolled while Lucas, Dustin, Will, Max, and El pulled on their shoes and gathered their things. Mike told the five of them goodbye, offering El a warm smile that made her blush slightly, and then they were out the door.

He shoved the pizza box and empty soda cans into a trash bag and turned off the VCR and television before turning to head upstairs.

Mike was on the second stair on his way up when he heard the back door open again. He turned to see Max closing the door behind her.

“Hey. Can we talk?” she asked.

Mike didn’t try to hide the confusion on his face as he descended the two stairs and stood by the coffee table.

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked.

“I wanted to talk to you about you and El,” Max replied. Mike immediately felt his guard go up.

“I don’t know, Max-”

“I’ve never apologized… or I guess, really, acknowledged… my role in your breakup,” Max continued. Mike was stunned.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Max had always been so adamant that she didn’t tell El what to do.

“I mean, yes, El made her own decision,” she began. “But she made that decision based on doubts that most likely would never have been in her head if it weren’t for the things that Abby and I said. So, I’m sorry.”

Mike was taken aback. Never in a million years had he expected Max to claim responsibility for any part in El breaking up with him. Nor did he think Max would care enough about him and his feelings to apologize for it.

“Umm, thanks,” he said cautiously. “I appreciate that.”

He could see on Max’s face that she had more to say, but truthfully, Mike felt quite awkward talking to Max alone about this. He was civil with her for the rest of the party’s sake, but Mike never really considered his and Max’s (could he even call it a friendship?) acquaintanceship healed.

“I know that you think I don’t like you,” Max said. “That night when you confronted me at Lucas’s, I told you I don’t hate you, and I meant it. I want you to know that.”

Mike furrowed his brow before giving in. He sat on one end of the couch, and Max sat on the other.

“If you don’t hate me, then why do you treat me the way you do when it comes to El?” he asked.

“I don’t know, I guess…” Max sighed. “I guess it’s just that all I’ve ever known, all I’ve grown up around, have been toxic relationships. My mom and dad, my mom and Neil, Billy and any girl he was ever with-”

“Did I ever treat El even remotely close to that?” Mike interrupted, slightly offended that Max would use these men’s actions to justify causing El to doubt him. Mike knew he was nothing like them.

“No, of course not,” Max replied. “You always seemed to treat her with respect. I guess I just feared that things with you and El could turn harmful in a different way.”

“Such as?” Mike asked.

“Well, you remember a few years ago, my biggest issue was that you were trying to keep El all to herself and not let her spend time with the rest of us?” Max began.

“That’s how you interpreted it,” Mike said through clenched teeth. Sure, he had wanted El to himself, but it’s not like he didn’t let her see the others… he didn’t control her, and he didn’t appreciate Max’s word choice.

“Well, when El moved away with the Byers’, things were obviously way different because none of us could really see her. I talked to her on the phone once in a while, but not often because Neil would freak out about the long distance charges. And it’s not like I could really use Cerebro… So, El and I kept in contact a lot by writing letters back and forth.”

Mike nodded. El had told him that she and Max wrote to each other, but he hadn’t thought anything of it.

“When she and Will would come visit over breaks from school, the six of us would hang out together, and everything felt great. She would even spend one of her nights in town at my house,” Max recalled. “But when she and the Byers’ actually moved back here permanently, I was starting to feel that way again… like you were keeping her all to yourself. When she was away, it was different because none of us really saw her. But it was like, once she was back, you started keeping her away from everyone else again. I just got really annoyed by it.”

“You got annoyed with me spending time with my girlfriend?” Mike asked in a tone he hoped didn’t sound too condescending.

“I wanted to intervene so El could have different experiences during her senior year of high school,” Max continued, ignoring Mike’s question. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t just keeping her all to yourself again… But since then, I’ve realized that you weren’t trying to keep her away from anyone. She wanted to spend her time with you just as much as you wanted to spend your time with her.”

“What made you realize that?” Mike asked.

“When you guys broke up, El was really hesitant about seeing another guy,” Max admitted. “I really pushed her hard toward Brad. All El kept asking everyone about was how you were doing.”

Mike couldn’t help but smile at learning that.

“And after things with Brad ended, you were still all she wanted,” Max said. “She made that clear over Thanksgiving break when she and I snuck into a bar with Robin and Abby-”

“You did what?!”

“She met this guy and talked to him all night,” Max continued, ignoring Mike’s interruption. “She was drunk, but she said he treated her like a perfect gentleman. Even so, she left the bar because it wasn’t what she wanted. She said all she wanted… was you.”

Mike was silent as he let this new information sink in.

“That’s why she had Lucas and I help her get you alone to talk,” Max said. “She called me for my help after you and Lindsey had that fight-”

“Wait a minute,” Mike interjected firmly. “How did she know about that fight before talking to me at Lucas’s?”

Mike watched as Max’s eyes widened at what she had let slip out, and it dawned on Mike.

“She spied on me?” he asked.

“Only because she heard Will tell his mom about how badly you were hurt,” Max explained quickly. “Mike, she wanted to see that you were okay, and she knew she couldn’t actually go to your house. So, yeah, she spied on you and ended up seeing that argument with Lindsey. But she spied on you because she was concerned because she loves you. That’s also why she insisted on me coming up with a plan to get back at Brad.”

Mike nodded; El had told him about the payback on Brad.

“I really thought that some time apart would be healthy. I thought I was helping her gain some independence and explore her options,” Max said. “But seeing all the pain that so many people went through over the last few months… I really want you to know that I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” Mike said after a moment. “I truly appreciate that.”

The two of them sat in silence while Mike molded over Max’s words. Learning all of this from Max made him feel foolish for doubting El’s love for him. He felt a lump starting to rise in his throat, so he cleared his throat, jogging Max out of her own thoughts.

“I’ll tell you something I’ve never said out loud to anyone before, even El. But you can’t repeat it, Wheeler,” Max said firmly, and Mike nodded. “I think one reason I might have always gotten so annoyed by you and El constantly being together is that, on some level, I’m kind of… jealous… of what you two have because I feel like I will never get that type of commitment… from Lucas.”

Mike gaped at her, dumbfounded by this revelation. Max looked down at the floor, looking almost immediately ashamed of what she had just admitted.

“Max,” Mike chuckled, and Max looked up, confused at the smile on Mike’s face. “Lucas hates this casual dating arrangement. He literally just told me a couple weeks ago.”

“R-really?” Max asked skeptically.

“Yeah,” Mike nodded. “I bet if you had a real talk with him about it, he would tell you the same thing.”

Max nodded and leaned back against the couch smiling.

“Thank you,” she said. “And I promise, the second you and El get back together, you both have my complete support. No more meddling or putting ideas in her head.”

“Thanks, that’s good to know,” Mike chuckled.

“But seriously, I hope it’s the right time for you two soon,” Max added, and Mike frowned.

“I do too,” he said. “It’s just nerve-wracking to jump back in. She seems like she’s gotten a lot happier, which is great. I just wish I had some sort of sign that she had figured out everything she needed to figure out and that she is ready to be all in with me again.”

“Well, from what I see, you and El have both grown substantially over the past couple of months,” Max said. “El is in such a great place right now mentally. I’ve never seen her so happy with herself. And she is still hopeful about your relationship and is madly in love with you… I was actually really impressed the last time she and I talked about you. She has gone from ‘I just want him back’ to ‘I just want him to be happy.’ That’s growth, Wheeler.”

“Thanks,” Mike said before glancing at his watch. His eyes widened. “Shit, I didn’t realize how late it was.”

“Well, I’ll go get a ride home from Lucas,” Max said, standing up.

“I can drive you,” Mike offered.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “That’s what friends are for.”

The next morning, Mike was on his way to El’s locker. He had rehearsed in his head what he wanted to ask her, but he was still feeling a swarm of butterflies in his stomach as he saw her leaned into her locker in the distance.

She turned and met his eyes, and Mike felt nervousness shoot down his spine as he anxiously clenched his fists at his side.

He took a deep breath before reaching her locker and told himself he had nothing to worry about. This was El, after all. Mike looked down at her doe eyes staring up at him, and the words he had replayed in his head flew away.

“Do you have a minute?” he asked.

“Of course,” El smiled. “What’s up?”

“Would you like to get dinner with me Tuesday night?” Mike asked and held his breath waiting for her answer.

“Yeah, I’d love to,” El grinned enthusiastically, and Mike sighed in relief. Then, he saw as her brow suddenly creased in confusion. “Wait… isn’t Tuesday… Valentine’s Day?”

Mike smiled at the look of surprise on her face as she figured it out.

“Yes it is,” he replied. “El, would you like to get dinner with me Tuesday night for Valentine’s Day?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, nodding and grinning from ear to ear.

“Great,” Mike smiled. “It’s a date.”


	25. Chapter 25

Mike was smoothing down his tie against the front of his shirt as he stood in front of his mirror inspecting his appearance. It was the night of his first date with El in six months, and despite their long history together, Mike still felt his stomach doing somersaults as if it were their first date ever. Of course, he knew it was a big night. Tonight was the night that they would discuss how the last two months had been for them individually. Mike would tell her that he was confident in their relationship and that he was ready to fully devote himself again to her and their love.

He sighed and looked his reflection up and down, deciding that he was ready. His black dress pants and white button-up provided a classic look, and Mike had considered simply pulling it together with a black tie, but he saw a dark red one in his closet and decided to add some color for the occasion. It wasn’t a bright red, so he didn’t feel like he was being cheesy for Valentine’s Day or anything… Well, he had some cheesy plans up his sleeve, so he didn’t want to look cheesy going into it. Mike was satisfied with his appearance and headed downstairs, running into his mom at the bottom of the stairs as she was rummaging through her purse.

“You look beautiful, Mom,” Mike said, his eyes widened in shock at his mother standing before him in a red lowcut dress, red heels, and her makeup done to perfection which included bright red lipstick to match her outfit.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Karen beamed before standing back to look at her son, her warm smile reaching her eyes. “Oh, and you look so handsome!”

“Thanks,” Mike mumbled, feeling his cheeks blush at his mother’s gushing even though no one else was around to hear it.

“Now remember, your father took a vacation day tomorrow, so we won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. Holly is staying at Alyssa’s house tonight, so you won’t have to worry about getting her up and ready for school tomorrow, but please come straight home after school so you can be here before the bus drops her off,” Karen reminded him of the plan.

“Yes, Mom, I will,” Mike said.

“Thank you, honey,” Karen smiled, gently patting her son’s cheek before removing her coat from the coatrack and draping it over her shoulders.

“Where’s Dad?” Mike asked, suddenly aware that his mother was nearly ready to walk out the door without her date.

“Upstairs. He’ll be down with the bags any minute,” Karen replied, a slight look of annoyance filling her eyes as she glanced at her watch.

Truthfully, Mike was surprised that his dad planned to take his mom out for the night for Valentine’s Day. It was no secret that Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler didn’t exactly have the happiest or most loving marriage, but Mike decided that if his parents were putting some effort in to their relationship tonight, whether it was truly for themselves or for Holly’s benefit, he was happy for them.

Mike stepped into the kitchen and gathered the five red roses he had gotten for El. When he stepped back into the foyer to put on his coat, his mother raised her hands to her cheeks, her eyes shining in adoration at her son.

“I was hoping you would still do that for her, even with everything you two have been through,” she beamed.

“It’s tradition,” Mike shrugged, trying not to make a big deal of it as his cheeks blushed again.

“Michael, she’s going to love it,” Karen assured him. “And I’m going to love seeing her around again. I know Holly will, too.”

“Mom, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Mike warned. “It’s just dinner right now. There’s no guarantee we’ll be getting back together tonight.”

While he certainly hoped that wasn’t the case, Mike still didn’t want to act like rekindling his relationship with El was a sure thing. She had just as much say in what was going to happen as he did.

“I know, sweetie,” Karen smiled. “But I’m sure you will.”

Mike couldn’t help but smile back at his mother’s words. He leaned in to give her a hug, and right as his hand was on the front door, his mother said his name, and Mike turned to face her once more.

“Have a good time,” she said warmly. “And good luck, sweetheart… And be safe.”

Mike was, once again, about to leave when his father finally came down the stairs with his and Karen’s suitcase and toiletry bag in hand.

“Ah, Michael, you haven’t left yet,” Ted observed.

“I’m just about to,” Mike said. “So, good night. Have a happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Well, hold on, now,” Ted said, eyeing the roses in Mike’s hand. “Who is the lucky lady you’re going out with tonight? I thought you and, uh… Leslie broke up?”

“Lindsey and I did break up a couple months ago,” Mike replied as patiently as he could. “But I’m actually going out with El tonight.”

“El, huh?” Ted asked, raising his eyebrows. “New girl? Between you and your sister, I can’t keep all the names straight sometimes.”

“Well, Dad, El is the girl I was with for the past several years, so she’s not exactly new,” Mike said, starting to get annoyed, and choosing not to mention that he and his sister had each only ever been with two people.

“Oh, that El,” Ted said as he shrugged into his overcoat. “The one Joyce Byers took in. I thought things ended with you two?”

“They did. But I’m hoping to change that tonight,” Mike replied.

“Ah,” Ted sighed as he picked up his and Karen’s luggage. “Well, son, have a good night. Have fun, but don’t have too much fun. And don’t forget about your little sister tomorrow.”

“I won’t,” Mike said, rolling his eyes at his dad’s comment about having too much fun.

Karen gave her son one last hug as she walked by him on her way out the door. When his parents had pulled out of the driveway, Mike sighed in relief and finally made his way to his own car, ready to pick up his date for the evening.

At the Byers’ house, El was putting the final touches on her makeup. She knew this was Mike… he had seen her without makeup thousands of times. But tonight was special, and she wanted to look as good for him as she could. She dabbed the excess red lipstick from her lips, giving them a matte look, and inspected her work in her vanity mirror. She had gone with a more natural look, choosing neutral tones of eyeshadow to blend together and make the hazel pop in her eyes. Her eyes were lined with black eyeliner, and black mascara lengthened her full eyelashes. A light pink blush rested on her cheekbones, and her bright red lipstick was her dramatic pop of color. It was the only red that El was wearing, opting for a black dress tonight. She had considered wearing red, but El didn’t want to appear too cliché on Valentine’s Day. Satisfied with her makeup, El stood and admired herself in her full-length mirror. Her black dress was made entirely of velvet, had a scooping neckline, full-length sleeves, and the material hugged her body tightly and ended in the middle of her thighs where her fingertips reached. She had curled her hair which draped over both of her shoulders.

“You look gorgeous,” Joyce beamed from the doorway of El’s bedroom.

“Thank you,” El smiled, turning to face the woman who had entered and walked nearer to the mirror.

“How are you feeling about tonight?” Joyce asked, and El automatically smiled at the thought of spending time alone with Mike.

“I’m excited,” she replied. “And I’m hopeful that he is ready.”

“Oh, honey, I don’t think he would have asked you on a date on Valentine’s Day if he wasn’t ready,” Joyce assured her with a smile.

“I know, but I don’t want to assume anything,” El said with a shrug.

“I understand,” Joyce said.

Joyce stood back and took in El’s appearance, tears starting to line her bottom lids. She sniffed and turned her head quickly.

“Are you okay?” El asked, concerned.

“Yes, sweetie, I’m okay,” Joyce said, dabbing her eyes and turning back to face El with a wide smile. “I just can’t believe how much you’ve grown up. I took you in as a scared, albeit brave, fourteen-year-old girl, and I must’ve blinked, because now you are a confident, beautiful young woman.”

“Mom,” El smiled widely. “Don’t make me cry. I just finished my makeup.”

Joyce laughed, knowing El was only kidding, and the two of them shared a look that they both understood. El could feel how much Joyce loved her, and Joyce could read the love and appreciation in El’s gaze staring back at her. El knew she would never be able to repay this woman for everything she had done, and Joyce knew that El didn’t have to.

“Well, I hope you have a wonderful night and that things go the way you want them to,” Joyce said when her emotions were under control. “Lord knows, after everything you have been through in this world, you deserve nothing but happiness.”

El wrapped Joyce into a tight hug, resting her chin on the woman’s shoulder and whispering “I love you” in her ear.

“I love you, too,” Joyce replied.

They pulled back from their hug right as the doorbell rang, and El’s breath hitched in her throat knowing that Mike was here. Joyce beamed at her once more before leaving El’s room to open the front door.

When Joyce opened the door, her eyes were drawn instantly to the roses in Mike’s hands, and she smiled in adoration as her eyes moved back up to his.

“Hi, Mrs. Byers,” Mike said politely.

“You look so handsome,” Joyce said, stepping to the side and letting him enter the living room.

“Thank you,” he smiled.

“El should be out any moment,” Joyce said, and Mike nodded.

He heard her soft footsteps and inhaled and exhaled deeply, waiting for her to turn the corner into the living room. When she did, Mike momentarily forgot how to breathe, and he thought his heart was going to pound right out of his chest. El smiled warmly at him and walked closer until she was just inches away from him. Mike closed his mouth, which he hadn’t realized was even open, and cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks blush.

“El, you look… so beautiful,” he breathed, his eyes landing on hers.

“Thank you,” El blushed. “You look amazing, too.”

“Thanks,” Mike said, the blush on his cheeks deepening, causing El to giggle. She would never get over how cute he was when she complimented him.

“Oh, these are for you,” Mike said as if he just remembered he was holding roses in his hands.

El reached out to take the flowers from him and lifted them to her nose to breathe in the sweet aroma.

“You remembered,” she hummed into the red petals. Her eyes landed on each of the five roses, counting them, even though she knew she didn’t have to. He knew how many to bring.

“Of course I did,” Mike chuckled.

How could he forget? He had always given her one rose for each Valentine’s Day that they were together. The tradition had started on their first Valentine’s Day in 1985 when he had given her one rose just two months after the Snow Ball. He gave her two roses on Valentine’s Day of 1986, three roses in 1987, and so on. 

“Thank you,” El whispered, the look in her eyes telling Mike that this small gesture meant the world to her.

“Honey, why don’t I take care of those for you,” Joyce offered, stepping forward to take the roses.

Mike and El both jumped slightly at her voice, having forgotten that Joyce was in the room with them. El smiled and handed the roses over to Joyce who disappeared into the kitchen.

“So, are you ready to go?” Mike asked, and El nodded.

The two of them walked outside to Mike’s car, and Mike opened the passenger side door for El who smiled and thanked him sweetly. At first, El could tell that Mike was nervous, but luckily it only took a few minutes before he was talking and laughing with her just like old times.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Mike and El were seated at a circular booth in the corner. They each scooted in, leaving a generous amount of space between them, as neither of them wanted to seem too pushy, knowing they haven’t discussed their relationship yet.

After putting in their order, the two of them were immediately lost in conversation. El was telling Mike all about the short stories she had written over the past two months, and Mike assured her that he was happy and proud of her for finding something she was so passionate about.

“It really helps me in a way I never thought I needed help,” El said. “I’ve just… I’ve seen so much throughout my childhood, and I know I’ve talked to you about it, but… I don’t know. It’s almost like this is a way for me to let it out therapeutically without actually talking to a therapist, if that makes sense. It helps me.”

“That’s great, El,” Mike said. “I’m glad you’ve found a way to express yourself.”

“My teacher asked me once where I come up with these ideas… I guess it’s best that she believes it’s fiction,” El chuckled sadly, and Mike reached over to squeeze her hand.

El’s eyes widened and looked over at Mike. He immediately thought he crossed the line and started to pull his hand back, and El stopped him by squeezing his hand in return. Mike offered her a small smile and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, and they sat silently like that until their food was delivered.

“Mike?” El asked as she spun her fork around in her dish of pasta.

“Yeah?” Mike asked, looking over at her.

“When you asked me to get dinner with you tonight, were you nervous?” she asked.

“Of course I was,” Mike chuckled. “Do you realize how nerve-wracking it is to ask a girl out?”

“Even me?” El asked, her eyes widening. “You knew I would say yes.”

“I didn’t want to assume anything,” Mike said. “Plus, I guess I was mainly nervous because this is the first time it’s been just me and you together, without everyone else, in a long time. I was worried things might get awkward or something… But honestly, it feels just like old times to me.”

“It feels just like old times to me, too,” El smiled warmly for a moment before her lips curled into a smirk. “Well… maybe not just like old times.”

Mike felt the heat on his cheeks return as her insinuation, and he laughed but was also taken aback by her boldness. He took it as a sign that she was ready to talk about them.

“El, I’m really proud of you for taking this time to yourself and figuring out your passions and who you are outside of us,” he said.

“It wasn’t easy at first, but I am glad that we did this,” El admitted. “I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself, and I feel like I can be a better person for myself… and for you.”

“I feel the same way,” Mike smiled.

“Did you… did you find some closure with Lindsey?” El asked gently, knowing it was a sensitive subject for him.

“I did,” Mike sighed happily. “I was able to apologize for everything, and she forgave me. It was a huge weight lifted.”

El smiled and squeezed his hand again, happy that he wasn’t carrying around that guilt anymore.

“I also talked to Max,” Mike added, causing El’s eyes to widen.

“You did? She never told me about that,” El said.

“There were just some things that she and I needed to clear up,” Mike shrugged. “It’s not like I needed her blessing or anything, but I mean, she is your best friend, and… I guess I just needed to know that she understands how I feel about you and that she won’t interfere again. I didn’t even know I needed that talk until after it happened.”

El nodded, still surprised that Max had kept this from her, but glad that it happened if Mike found it helpful.

“So…” she started hesitantly, feeling the nerves dancing around in her stomach for the first time since this conversation started. “How exactly do you feel about me?”

“How do I feel about you?” Mike repeated.

“Yeah… I just figured since you told Max, it’s only fair that you tell me, too,” El said, trying to lighten the situation, but feeling her stomach doing flips.

Mike rubbed his thumb over the soft skin on the back of El’s hand again and smiled, glancing from their joined hands back up to her eyes. He took a deep breath.

“I feel just like I’ve always felt about you,” he said. “I think you are the bravest, most courageous, caring, and beautiful person in the world. I think you’re incredibly smart and funny, and I’m so proud of you for everything you’ve done… And even after everything we’ve been through the past six months, I am hopelessly in love with you, and I know I always will be.”

El tried to blink back the tears, but her vision quickly became blurry, and when the first tear fell from her eye, Mike scooted closer to her in the booth and wiped it off her cheek.

“Th-that… that is everything I’ve wanted to hear you say,” she sniffed. “Mike, I love you too. I am so in love with you, and I love that you pushed me to take this time apart to better myself, but I want more than anything to be better with you.”

“I want that too,” Mike said just above a whisper.

Neither of them had even noticed that they had been moving closer to each other in the circular booth, but soon, there were mere inches between their faces and Mike’s hand was cupping El’s cheek as he stared longingly into her eyes.

“I love you, El,” he whispered, and his breath against her lips made El’s skin feel tingly.

“Kiss me,” she whispered, and he did.

El moved one hand into Mike’s hair and found his free hand with her other, moving her lips passionately against his. When they pulled back, they both stared into each other’s blown pupils, their breath intermingling between their still open mouths, both in awe of what just happened.

“Mike?” El breathed. “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything,” Mike answered immediately.

“I want it to be official… I want you to say it, if you’re ready,” El said, blushing slightly as Mike realized what she wanted.

“I am ready,” he said. “I’m ready if you are. I want us to be back together. I want you to be my girlfriend again.”

“And I want you to be my boyfriend again,” El said quickly.

“Deal,” Mike smiled and crashed his lips back into hers as El giggled against his mouth.

They were so wrapped up in each other that neither of them noticed when the waiter came by their table to refill their water and drop off the check. When they finally pulled apart, Mike paid the bill and led El outside to his car, holding her hand the whole way.

As Mike reached for El’s door handle, she stopped him by wrapping her arms around his neck and connecting their lips once more. She leaned back against the car, and Mike pressed against her, his hands on her hips as their tongues danced together.

“I’ve missed this,” Mike moaned against her lips.

“Me too,” El breathed. “I want you, Mike.”

“I want you, too,” Mike whispered.

She looked up at him, and Mike could see the fire burning in her big brown eyes. He leaned down and nibbled on her earlobe, and El’s body shivered at his hot breath.

“My house is empty all night,” Mike murmured into her ear. He planted more kisses along El’s neck and felt her nod against him.

“Let’s go,” she whimpered, already feeling her arousal building.

Mike leaned in for one more kiss on the lips before opening her car door so El could enter. He quickly joined her inside and drive as fast as he could without being pulled over. The drive home had never taken so long, but Mike was sure that was mostly due to El’s hand rubbing up and down his thigh while he tried to focus on the road and gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Finally, they reached Mike’s house. El hopped out of the car, not waiting for Mike to open the door for her, and nearly dragged him to the front door. She kissed his neck and let her hands roam his back and chest while Mike fumbled with his house key. As soon as they were inside, Mike grabbed El’s wrist and pulled her upstairs.

By the time they reached the end of the hall, they were ferociously making out. Mike’s hands moved from her waist down to her ass and squeezed it tightly, pinning El between himself and his closed bedroom door. El’s hands were around his neck, one moved up into his thick hair and tightened her fist, causing Mike to moan into her mouth. Mike hastily began to fumble with the doorknob behind El, refusing to break their kiss, and a moment later, it opened and the two of them slipped inside.

Once Mike kicked the door closed, El had his back pushed against it, loosening his tie while she started to kiss his neck. Mike moaned and tightened his grip on El’s hips, feeling her pressed against his growing erection. She pulled back just enough to slip her hands in between their bodies and made quick work of his belt and pants, sliding them and his underwear down to his ankles as she dropped to her knees in front of him, becoming eye level with his hard dick.

El wrapped her hand around it and began moving up and down his shaft. Mike closed his eyes and leaned his head against the door until he felt the warmth of her breath against the tip of his dick. He looked down right as El began to swirl her tongue around his swollen tip.

“How does that feel?” she asked in a sultry voice.

“Feels so good, baby,” Mike breathed. “You’re amazing.”

El grinned and pressed her lips against Mike’s tip which was wet with his precum and her saliva, and she parted her lips, taking him into her mouth slowly, one inch at a time. She relaxed her jaw to take him all the way in, and soon his tip hit the back of her throat as her nose hit his pelvis.

She gripped his thigh with one hand and gently took his balls in her other, and El started to bob her head back and forth, sucking hard and gliding her tongue along the underside of his cock.

“Oh fuck,” Mike groaned in ecstasy.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch as El licked and sucked his cock, her pretty brown eyes glancing up to meet his and hold his gaze. Mike instinctively placed one hand on the back of her head and wove his fingers through her hair. El remained in control, his hand simply resting on her head, moving along with the pace she had set.

Mike started thrusting his hips forward, matching El’s pace and ramming his dick into the back of her throat. They both knew Mike was close to blowing his load, so El lessened the suction and slowly pulled back, gently kissing his tip when he was fully out of her mouth.

“Holy shit,” Mike panted, reaching down to take El’s hands and help her stand up.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck, their open mouths colliding hungrily. Mike reached to the back of El’s neckline and slowly pulled the zipper down to the small of her back. She shimmied her arms out of the sleeves and let the dress fall from her frame down to the floor. Mike dove into her neck, kissing and sucking it while his hands slid down to her ass again.

El was getting wetter by the second. She unbuttoned Mike’s shirt and pushed it off of him so their bare skin was finally against one another’s.

Mike walked her backwards until they reached his bed. El fell onto her back and Mike crawled on top of her, his eyes locked on her cleavage spilling over the top of her simple black bra. He unhooked the clasp and tossed the garment over the side of the bed, eagerly taking one of her beautiful tits in his hand and the other in his mouth, his tongue rolling over her hardening nipple as he sucked.

“Mike,” El whimpered with a sharp inhale and massaged her fingers into his hair.

“You’re so beautiful, El,” Mike murmured from El’s chest as he moved his mouth to her other breast. “So sexy.”

El felt chills shoot through her body as Mike traced his kisses back up to her neck and let his hand caress a line down her stomach until he reached her panties. He rubbed his fingers up and down her slit over her soaking panties, and El arched her back beneath him, sensitive to his touch that she hadn’t felt in months.

“God, you’re wet,” Mike breathed against her neck.

“Take them off, Mike,” El pleaded.

Mike flashed her a smile and kissed her lips before sitting back on his knees and linking his fingers into the waistband of El’s panties. He pulled them down her legs and discarded them as well, leaving her pretty pussy completely bare to him. His cock twitched at the sight, and Mike’s hand instinctively moved to it, stroking himself to the view of her folds glistening with her arousal.

“El, I’ve fucking missed you,” Mike growled. He tightly gripped her inner thighs and buried his face in her sweet center.

El cried out at the abruptness of it all. His tongue was everywhere, gliding between her folds, lapping up her juices, swirling around her sensitive clit. Mike still knew every inch of her, and El knew it wouldn’t be long before he sent her over the edge.

“I love how you taste,” Mike said against her clit before attaching his lips to it, licking and sucking while El squealed and arched herself further into his face.

Mike moved one hand from her thigh and stroked her wet opening before inserting his first two fingers into her pussy.

“Ah! Mike!” El cried out when Mike’s fingers hilted inside her.

Mike began to jam his fingers in and out of her, curling them to stroke her soft walls, while licking and sucking her clit.

“M-Mike…” El’s voice was shaky and higher pitched. She closed her eyes and spread her legs even wider. “Mike, I’m gonna… I-I’m gonna cum… Oh god, Mike, I’m-”

Her mouth remained opened in a silent scream while her back arched and her pussy clenched around Mike’s fingers, covering them in the warmth of her orgasm. Mike moved his tongue down to her contracting opening and gently lapped up her juices after her body finally relaxed.

He crawled up so they were eye-to-eye again and brushed the hair out of her face. El looked up at him as he hovered over her; she was panting and her eyes were still shining full of lust and love. Mike leaned in, sweetly kissing her lips, and El rolled them over so Mike was on his back and she was straddling his hips.

El wasted no time grasping the base of Mike’s rock hard dick, lining it up with her dripping wet hole, and lowering herself fully onto it. She moaned and threw her head back in ecstasy, feeling completely full with him inside of her.

“Fuck, El,” Mike groaned. He knew he would never get over how tight she felt every time.

El started to roll her hips on top of Mike’s, keeping his dick completely buried within her. She leaned back slightly and placed her hands behind herself on his thighs for support, giving Mike a perfect view of her exposed clit and bouncing tits.

Mike’s hands were resting on her thighs, and he began rubbing them up and down, sending electricity coursing through every inch of her that he touched. His thumb pressed against her clit and started rubbing circles over it while his other hand firmly gripped her hip. El moaned at the sensation of him rubbing her clit while she rode his cock, and she started bouncing harder on his dick.

“Yes, baby, just like that,” Mike hissed, thrusting his hips upward to meet her rhythm.

Mike replaced his thumb with his middle two fingers and ferociously rubbed El’s swollen clit while she rode his dick, her tits bouncing, her hair in fallen waves over her shoulders, and her head tossed back.

When she came, El screamed out his name, the only word she could find on her tongue. She collapsed against him, and Mike wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to his chest and peppering her neck and shoulder with soft kisses until her body stopped trembling.

El lifted her head and pulled Mike’s lips to hers, engulfing them in a deep, slow kiss. Mike gently shifted his hips beneath hers, lazily thrusting his hard cock that was still buried inside her. She opened her eyes and gave him a look that said she was ready to go again, and Mike gingerly rolled them over again, placing El on her back and not pulling out of her at all.

Mike’s body was flush against hers, their chests smashed together, their mouths connected. He continued thrusting into her, tracing his lips from her lips down to her neck.

“El,” he grunted near her ear, and El shivered at the sensation of his hot breath against her skin. “I missed you. I missed you so much.”

“I know,” El whispered, shocked to feel the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. “I missed you too, baby. And I love you. I love you more than anything.”

“I love you too,” Mike breathed against her lips before kissing her long and hard, picking up speed as he thrusted between her legs.

Mike pushed himself back so he could loop each of his arms around El’s legs, placing her ankles over his shoulders. He leaned forward, pressing her legs up against her own body, nearly folding her in half as he pounded into her.

“Oh god… that feels… that feels amazing,” El groaned, liking the pressure and how deep Mike was getting from this angle.

He rammed into her pussy harder and harder, knowing he was getting close. Mike leaned back again and grasped her legs, moving them from his shoulders and stretching them out to either side, spreading them as wide as they would go. El whimpered at the mixture of pleasure and pain and reached forward to grab his hips, digging her fingernails into his skin and pulling him in as far as he could go.

Mike gazed down at her. Her hair sprawled over his pillows, her big brown eyes, her plump lips, her bouncing tits, her flat stomach, her silky thighs spread wide open.

“El, you’re beautiful,” Mike panted. “You’re fucking perfect.”

He let go of her legs and let El pull him flat against herself again, meeting her lips and moaning into her mouth as he exploded rope after rope of hot cum into her pussy. El squeezed him tightly, wrapping her arms and legs around him, as her pussy clenched and she came for the third time that night.

El gently stroked her fingers up and down Mike’s bare back while she held him in her arms as he panted against her neck. She knew that she was holding her entire world in that moment, and she whimpered as he started to lift himself from her, but El reluctantly loosened the grip she had with her arms and legs.

Mike pulled out of her and rolled onto his side, keeping El pulled tightly against him, not wanting to lose the feel of her soft skin against his. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, and then on the tip of her nose, before connecting his lips to her own parted lips. Mike kissed her deeply, his hands on her waist as El’s fingers gripped his hair.

When they each pulled back, Mike was alarmed to see tears brimming El’s lower lids. He cupped the side of her face, letting his fingertips graze her soft brown hair as he looked into her eyes with concern.

“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked just above a whisper.

El shook her head and sniffed, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she answered just as softly. “I’m just so happy.”

Mike pulled her even tighter against his body and pressed a kiss to her temple as El wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” El said into his chest with a shaky voice. Mike felt the teardrops that had escaped El’s eyes drip onto his skin. “Mike, you’re perfect. You are enough for me, and I’m so sorry I made you feel like you weren’t.”

“El,” Mike said gently, lifting her chin so he could look at her face. “You don’t need to apologize, baby. We’re back together, and that’s the only thing that matters.”

He kissed both of her tear-stained cheeks and then peppered kisses over her forehead, nose, and chin until El started giggling against him and met his lips with her own. Mike smiled against her lips and leaned his forehead against hers, resting in a comfortable silence with the love of his life wrapped in his arms.

Mike rolled onto his back, and El rested her head on his chest with her arm draped over his stomach and her legs intertwined with his. He was softly tracing his fingers up and down El’s back while she lay with her eyes closed hearing only the gentle sounds of Mike’s breathing and heartbeat. Mike felt like he could stay in this moment of serenity forever, until he remembered that small box resting in the drawer to his side.

“El?” he said softly.

El’s eyelashes fluttered against him, tickling his skin. She looked up at him and rested her chin on his chest, humming a response.

“There’s something I want to give you,” Mike said.

He shifted and reached toward his nightstand, and El reluctantly pulled herself off of him so they could both sit up. She kept the bedspread wrapped firmly around herself, suddenly colder without Mike’s warmth against her. Her eyes widened when Mike turned to face her, holding a small jewelry box in his hand.

“Mike, I – I didn’t get you anything,” she said immediately, guilt crossing her face as she looked from the box in his hand up to his dark eyes.

“Yes you did,” Mike smiled softly, knowing that tonight she had given him all he could have dreamed of. She was his again. “You don’t need to buy me anything… Besides, when I first bought this, I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but…”

“You kept it all this time? You didn’t take it back?” El asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah, I kept it. I guess I was holding on to the hope that someday I would still be able to give it to you,” Mike replied.

El was smiling with tears already starting to sting in the corners of her eyes. She wanted to lunge forward and squeeze her arms around him and never let him go. Whatever was in the box, El was sure she would love, but it was Mike admitting that through everything, subconsciously he had still had faith in their love all along that really made El’s heart overflow with love.

“Go ahead and open it,” Mike said, holding the box out to her.

Mike watched as El tentatively lifted the lid of the box and her shaky fingers covered her gaping mouth.

When she opened the box, El found herself looking down at the most beautiful gift Mike had ever bought her. Her vanity at home contained several pieces of jewelry he had bought her over the years – earrings of her birthstone, a silver heart-shaped locket containing a photo of them, a necklace with a small diamond snowflake, a simple gold bracelet. But this was different. This was a ring.

Shining back up at her was a white gold band with a diamond-encrusted infinity symbol. Right in the middle of the infinity symbol where the two loops connected, one diamond sat slightly larger than all the others. Her breath was caught in her throat and her vision was instantly blurred with tears as her shaky hand remained covering her gaping mouth.

“Do you like it?” Mike asked hesitantly.

El’s eyes ripped from the box in her hand up to her boyfriend’s face. He was looking at her as if he actually thought it was possible for her not to love this gift. El suddenly threw her arms around Mike’s neck and squeezed him tightly against her. She clenched her eyes shut, but a few teardrops escaped and land on Mike’s bare shoulder. El felt him smile against her skin as he embraced her, and they sat in their hug for several moments before El pulled back to stare at him with nothing but love in her big watery eyes.

“Mike, I love it,” she said. “And I love you.”

“I love you too,” he smiled.

Mike reached over and picked up the small box containing the promise ring, and he lifted it out of its velvet padding.

“When I saw this, I instantly thought of you,” he explained. “We had been through so much together, even by that time, and we always overcame everything. I thought the infinity symbol was the perfect reminder that no matter what happens, I will always love you and I will always do anything I can to make you happy. And that is a promise.”

He shifted the ring so El could see that on the inside of the band, Mike had had the simple word ‘promise’ engraved in script. She felt her heart flutter at the idea that the simple word that always held so much meaning in their relationship would forever be secretly pressed against her skin under the symbol of their infinite love.

Mike took her right hand and slid it on her ring finger. El noticed that he glanced at the empty ring finger on her left hand as well, and she gave him a knowing smile. They both knew that one day, that finger would also display a symbol of their undying love for one another.

El glanced down at the beautiful ring on her ring hand, and her smile was so wide that her cheeks were beginning to hurt. She couldn’t believe that he had bought this for her with so much meaning, even before everything had happened. Then he kept it hidden for months, maintaining faith that someday, he would be able to give it to her. Now that their relationship was fully in tact and stronger than ever, El took it as proof of the meaning of this ring. They could make it through anything.

She looked up at Mike who was still staring at her, and she leaned in to softly kiss his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he deepened the kiss, eventually laying back and pulling her on top of him.

After making sweet, passionate love, El was cuddled up in Mike’s side, resting her right hand on his chest so she could admire how beautifully her new ring shone. She listened to his slowing breath and felt as his heartrate returned to normal before glancing at the clock on his nightstand and groaning.

“I think it’s time to take me home,” she said sadly, tightening her grip around Mike, not wanting to leave him.

“You could always stay with me tonight,” he offered slowly.

El bit her bottom lip and drew circles on his chest with her fingertips while considering his offer.

“You know I would love to, sweetie, but… Joyce…” her voice trailed off, and Mike sighed knowingly.

“Well, she’s probably already asleep for the night,” Mike began logically. “I could always take you home early in the morning and you could sneak in your bedroom window and get ready for school. She’ll never know you weren’t there all night.”

El looked up into his pleading dark eyes, and it did not take her long to give in. She cuddled into him and closed her eyes, losing herself in his scent and the feel of his arms encompassing her as she drifted off into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.

El was slowly pulled out of her sleep many hours later to what she thought was the sound of a muffled voice. She blinked several times, trying to focus her vision, and when she tried to lift her hands to wipe the sleep from her eyes, she realized she couldn’t move her left arm. As her brain began to uncloud, she realized that at some point during the night, they had shifted so that El was laying on her back, and Mike was laying half on his side and half on top of her, his arm draped over her body and his face resting in the crook of her neck. El ran her fingers through the dark hair that fell over his forehead and was captivated by how beautiful he looked while he slept. His long black eyelashes stood out in contrast to his sharp cheekbones that were covered in a maze of freckles. His plump lips were slightly parted, and El could feel his breath against her bare skin as he exhaled in his sleep.

Just then, El heard once again the sound that had woken her up. It was muffled, but El could very distinctly identify the urgent sound of Will’s voice surrounded by static coming from under the bed. Will was repeating Mike’s name, asking if he copied. El looked at Mike who was still in a deep slumber, and she smiled, wriggling her arm out from underneath him, hoping not to disturb him. When she could move freely, El leaned over the side of the bed and fetched Mike’s supercom from where it had ended up under his bed. She glanced back at her peacefully sleeping boyfriend before gently sliding out of bed and quickly grabbing one of Mike’s t-shirts from a dresser drawer, throwing it on to conceal her nude body. Then, she stepped out into the hallway and spoke into the walkie.

“Will, this is El. Mike is asleep. Over,” she said just above a whisper.

“El! I was calling Mike to ask if you were with him. Over,” Will responded immediately.

“Yes, I stayed here last night. Mike is taking me home soon and I’ll go through my bedroom window. Over,” El quickly explained the plan that she and Mike had discussed last night.

“Don’t bother sneaking around,” Will’s voice came through. “Mom’s boss called her last night after you already left and asked her to come in early this morning. She’s already left for work… But she checked in on you this morning and saw that you weren’t there. Over.”

“Did she… seem mad?” El asked, her stomach sinking as she forgot to say ‘over.’

“I mean, I don’t think she particularly loved the idea, but she knows you and Mike have had many… sleepovers… over the past year. I think she was more concerned with not knowing you weren’t coming home. Over,” Will explained, and El breathed a sigh of relief.

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll see you in a little bit. Over,” El said.

“Before you go… I take it things went well on your date?” Will asked, a smirk evident in his tone.

“Things went really well,” El replied, unable to stop the smile from spreading over her face once more.

“Good. I really am happy for you. Both of you,” Will said sincerely. “I’ll let you go so you can get ready. See you in a little bit. Over and out.”

El entered Mike’s bedroom again and shook her head with a smile when she saw that he was still out like a light. She crossed the carpet to his bedside and looked at the clock. His alarm was due to go off in two minutes. El quickly disabled it, deciding she would wake him up herself.

She climbed into bed, underneath the covers, facing Mike who was laying on his side. El lifted his arm that was placed on the mattress and scooted underneath it so it was wrapped around her. She lifted her fingers and gently traced over his sharp cheekbones and down to his parted lips. El licked her own lips and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his mouth while weaving her fingers into his soft dark hair.

Mike began to stir, and when his eyes opened, the first thing he saw was El’s eyes staring back at him.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” El smiled lovingly.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Mike murmured, nuzzling into the crook of her neck sleepily and pulling her close.

“Mike, we have to get up now,” El said, although she loved how cuddly he was being.

He sighed into her shoulder, knowing she was right. Mike lifted his head to glance at his clock and was about to tell her that he would take her home now, when she smirked and Mike knew the plan had changed.

“Will called,” she said. “We’re busted.”

Mike groaned at the idea of getting his girlfriend in trouble on their first night back together.

“I’m sorry, El,” he said.

“Don’t be,” she smiled. “I’ll deal with Joyce later. But that just means I don’t have to sneak home.”

A mischievous grin crossed Mike’s lips as he looked into her eyes.

“It also means you can shower here, and then I can just take you home for a change of clothes,” he offered suggestively.

“Hmm, I wonder why you could possibly want me to shower here,” El said playfully.

“Hmm, well I was thinking,” Mike said, moving his lips to the side of her neck and placing little kisses between his words, “that I could maybe… get in the shower with you… I think we could both… use one… after last night.”

El let a content moan escape her lips at the feel of his tender kisses on her skin.

“I like how you think,” she sighed. “But you and I both know that if you join me in the shower, we’ll end up being late for school.”

Mike moved his lips down her neck to her collarbone.

“I wouldn’t make us late,” he insisted against her skin.

“Mike,” El laughed, not believing him.

“What?” he looked up at her and smirked. “I can be quick.”

El giggled and rolled her eyes, knowing she had given in.

“Fine,” she smiled. “But if we’re late for school, you’re the one who needs to come up with an excuse.”

“We won’t be late,” Mike repeated, hopping out of bed and pulling her along with him.

She laughed as they hurried down the hallway, both of them feeling genuinely happy after their first full night together in six months.

The bathroom door closed behind them. And of course, they were late for school that day.

Six Months Later

Mike, El, Lucas, Max, Dustin, and Will sat around the bonfire in the Byers’ backyard. The evening was winding down, and a thick sadness was starting to descend upon the party as the night came to an end. They had had a fun time of playing cornhole, grilling hot dogs, toasting marshmallows, and reminiscing, but the night was coming to an end, and the unspoken fact that this was the last time they would all six be together for months was beginning to set in.

Tomorrow, colleges were starting freshman move-in weekend, and while they all six were excited for the next step in their lives, none of them were prepared to say goodbye to one another. Luckily for El, she wasn’t going alone.

Dustin was moving up to Michigan to attend Western Michigan University, while Lucas was headed to Ohio to attend Ohio State. Max had ultimately decided upon Indiana State University after learning that Robin planned on staying in the area after graduation. The past six months had been new territory for Max and Lucas, as they had had a mature conversation about their relationship and decided to have a more serious commitment. Both of them would be lying if they said that they didn’t have concerns about taking their relationship long-distance.

El, Will, and Mike would all be moving to West Lafayette to attend Purdue University. College admissions had become a topic of discussion the day after Mike and El got back together when El had confidently approached him with a plan on how to make their long-distance relationship work when he moved to Chicago. Mike had been confused, and El had told him that Lindsey told her Mike was moving to Chicago for college. Mike had laughed and wrapped El in a tight hug, explaining that he was accepted to Northwestern University, but he had decided not to go there. He told her that he was going to Purdue with her and Will, and El had squealed in excitement and covered his face in kisses.

“I feel like someone should say something,” Dustin said, breaking the silence and looking around the circle.

“You act like someone died,” Max scoffed. “We’ll all be together again for Thanksgiving.”

While she acted like it didn’t bother her, everyone noticed when Max reached over and squeezed Lucas’s knee. He draped his arm over her shoulders but said nothing.

“Do you think things will change though?” Will asked timidly.

The six of them all looked around at each other, unsure of how to answer the question.

“Of course things are going to change,” Mike finally said. “But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

“Yeah. We’re growing up. We’ll make new friends, maybe join some clubs or something, but this right here? This won’t change,” Lucas added.

“I’m really gonna miss you guys, though,” Dustin said.

“We’ll miss you too, Dusty-bun,” Max said mockingly, but Dustin only smiled because he knew her words were true.

Mike tightened his grip around El’s shoulders, noticing she had been quiet, and looked down at her sad face. She met his eyes and answered his concern with a sad but reassuring smile. She knew they would all be okay.

“Can we just promise to still make an effort outside of Thanksgiving and Christmas?” Will asked. “I don’t want to be those high school friends that grow apart and end up only nodding politely at high school reunions or something.”

“Will, that’s never going to happen,” Mike assured his best friend. “Besides, El and I will be there with you the whole time.”

“Except for when they sneak off to do unspeakable things to each other,” Max chimed in.

“Max!” El hissed, finally breaking her silence.

“All I’m saying is Will should probably knock before entering the room… Or Wheeler should put a sock on the door or something. Though it would probably just become a permanent fixture,” Max teased, enjoying how red her best friend’s cheeks were getting.

Mike shook his head and looked away, knowing he couldn’t really deny Max’s words. He and El had been particularly passionate since getting back together in February… but who could blame them? They had six months of being apart that they needed to make up for.

“We should probably get to bed,” Will suggested, desperate to change the subject. He started to stand when Lucas stopped him.

“Seriously, though, Will. We won’t grow apart,” Lucas assured him.

“Of course not,” Mike agreed. “We’ll always be the party.”

“Friends,” Max added, making eye contact with Mike and nodding.

“Family,” El said softly.

Mike squeezed her shoulders and planted a kiss on her temple.

The six of them went inside and laid down in their makeshift beds in the Byers’ living room, trying to fall asleep. It wasn’t long before they realized not much sleep would be happening, because they kept reminiscing. Eventually, El drifted off for a few hours, curled up next to Mike, the sounds of her best friends in the world talking and laughing still ringing in her ears. She still felt nerves about leaving Hawkins and starting college, but with her newfound confidence in herself, the strength of her relationship with Mike, and the support from her best friends and family, she knew she could do anything. El fell into a peaceful sleep with a content smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If this was your first time reading this story, I really hope you liked it. If you’ve read it before on fanfiction.net, then I hope you liked it just as much! Like I said, a sequel is in the works, and when it is ready, I will post the first chapter on here and on FF. So, feel free to follow it on either or both site! Thanks for reading!


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